Quote Analysis in Walden

In Walden, Thoreau builds on the philosophy of transcendentalism that was most famously described in Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance." In that essay, Emerson established a set of ideals for living that combined abstract philosophy with practical advice. Walden builds on these ideas. Interestingly, Emerson owned the land that he allowed Thoreau to built his house on. The ideals that both of these men espouse in their works is for people to have unfailing trust in themselves and confidence in their abilities, preferring individuality to conformity.

Here again Thoreau emphasizes simplicity over progress by stating that the items we create are less likely to truly serve us spiritually and enable us from leading the good life.

Part of establishing his view of what a good life entails involves criticism of society. In this passage, he has targeted clothing as a representation of how society's social restraints cause more harm to those within it. Slavishly following new fashions, Thoreau claims, is one of the problems that so many people face in society because it takes them away from their true selves. Clothing emphasizes social differences and exacerbates financial difficulties. This creates distance between their inner self and desires.

Thoreau claims that Clothing does far more harm than good; many people fear that they will be judged on the basis of their clothing. He says that this worry makes pristine clothing more valuable than a clean conscience. In this passage we see Thoreau propose that people should choose their clothing based on utility and simplicity rather than fashion. These claims not only support his theme of seeking the Good Life, but they also support the theme of preferring simplicity over so-called "progress."

Thoreau most clearly states his purpose in this first section. Having explained much of the theory behind Walden and his motivations, he now asserts his claim that his time in the woods served a transactional purpose; that is, to provide him insight into the philosophical and practical necessities of humankind.

Thoreau begins to advocate here, and throughout Walden, for the value of simplicity in achieving what he will call the "Good Life." This statement exemplifies this idea, that the wisest of people have even less than the poor. Thoreau arrived at this statement by saying that all of the luxuries of life do more than their basic function; rather than keeping us warm, they "cook" us. This fire metaphor describes how damaging Thoreau believes unnecessary things to be to the well-being of humankind.

Thoreau uses this rhetorical question to challenge assumptions of knowledge regarding behavior and the function of certain necessities. His aim is to demonstrate that the toughness of a "primitive" life can be combined with the intellectual aspects of "civilization." It is worth noting that Thoreau, like others at the time, viewed Western civilization as more advanced and intellectually superior to other cultures around the world. Consequently, many writers like Thoreau exoticized and romanticized native cultures outside the European experience.

According to Thoreau, the quiet desperation that afflicts so many people occurs because they have forgotten that they can choose how to conduct their own lives. He builds on this claim shortly by saying that people trust the wisdom of older generations, but that received wisdom doesn't apply to everyone. Being open to change and finding the right way to live for oneself is paramount to Thoreau's views.

Thoreau claims that many people needlessly work to the point that they cannot enjoy life. He specifically addresses the poor in this passage and compares worrying about one's debt and fear of money to slavery. Claiming that "self-emancipation" is necessary, Thoreau states that self-reliance and simplicity are ways to achieve this. These calls also reveal his criticism of the nature of work for many, establishing that people must rely on themselves and their self-perception to better understand life's purpose.