Walden the Term Economy Has Thesis

Question #4)

Thoreau argues that his solitude does not equal loneliness. First, Thoreau describes the brilliance of his relationship with plants, animals, and the elements. Second, Thoreau comments on the connections he maintains with the world outside of Walden Pond, as visitors frequent the house to leave cards, flowers, and gifts in support of his endeavor. Finally, Thoreau feels paradoxically less lonely when he is alone: "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."

Question #5

In the opening chapter of Thoreau's conclusion to Walden Pond, the author notes, "The universe is wider than our views of it." One of the reasons Thoreau leaves Walden is because the experiment has increased his appreciation for the vastness and the beauty of the world. He leaves because Walden Pond has inspired him to go out into the world and apply what he learned during the experiment. He explicitly states in section 4, "I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one." Thoreau learned also about the act of fulfilling personal dreams. Finally, Thoreau claims, "In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty, nor weakness." Thoreau calls Walden Pond an experiment because it was a part of his greater spiritual journey: to prove that simplicity can lead to peace.

Question #6

Thoreau's conclusion reflects ideas he shared in common with other transcendentalists including Ralph Waldo Emerson. For example, Thoreau urges his readers to passionately pursue personal dreams, to build castles in the sky and later worry about the foundations. These dreams are to be forged while in meditation, in solitude. These are not the dreams inherited by society or by parents; these are deeper more meaningful dreams. Emerson also upheld the value of self-reliance in terms of eschewing the common values of materialistic pursuits in favor of more genuine, more fulfilling goals.

Question #7

In the next-to-last paragraph of Walden, Thoreau reflects on the permanence of change. He uses nature as a metaphor for the fluctuations and seasons in the life of a human being. Thoreau also speaks about the transformation of the human spirit and budding wisdom with the metaphor of the rebirth. The entire human race may still prove its merits….....