Thoreau is an example of self-reliance as defined by Emerson, and shows this by his life style. He lives for two years in the woods of Massachusetts reflecting of the self and how to improve it. For his work, he is a more literal and practical example of his philosophies then Emerson was with his high sighted ideals. Throughout his collection of essays, Thoreau uses animals and nature as symbols to represent the philosophical development of the self and the mind, with the focus on reaching a simple and productive state.
Thoreau uses the lifecycle of an insect to comment on the individual’s potential to mature philosophically. The larva state is characterizes as a state of greed and “gross feeding”, which is relatable to the state that the immature human. Thoreau defines “gross feeder” as “a man in the larva state” to complete his metaphor as well as build an indelible image of the immature and unproductive man being equivalent to the immature insect. An example of the human gross feeder is the farmer that Thoreau describes in “Economy.” He demonstrates his ignorance and primitive thinking by saying, “You cannot live on vegetable food solely,
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” Directly follows the sentences that describe the struggle of man. ” Thoreau then goes to the evolution of reaching his state. When he says, “…deposited at first in the alburnum of the green and living tree, which has been gradually converted into the semblance of its well-seasoned tomb…” (382) He is showing that the “green and living tree” are the potential that you are born with, or start with, but as time goes on your ability to reach that potential is compromised and it then becomes impossible, hence the symbol “tomb. Thoreau uses the metaphor of the insect because its development is a similar process that which an individual has to undertake to become simplistic in thought and behavior; and one may use nature and specifically insects, as their guides. The bug represents the one who is alive and has fought through the “concentric layers” of life to reach the final state of simplicity. Thoreau uses himself as an ornithologist to demonstrate this development in humans. ” (262) The farmers insistence on eating meat, clearly shows his lack of development and narrow-mindedness. Just like the bug metaphor, this is an image of the journey through life’s struggles, and society’s eventual triumph. An example of this is when Thoreau is discussing the setting near Walden Pond. ” This is to show that society is old in its thinking, and offers stiff resistance. for it furnishes nothing to make my with. By the end of Walden the reader is tired and almost disheartened by the state of society, and feels that it is impossible with society in the state that it is to achieve simplicity. ” (84) Thoreau uses this as one of his examples of society and nature being interrelated, but unlike nature, society has to make a choice to come out of that state, where as nature removes itself by instinct that society no longer possesses. ”
Thoreau uses language to demonstrate that the bug metaphor is directly similar.
Approximate Word count =
1325
Approximate Pages =
5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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