Chapter 18 "Conclusion" of Thoreau's Walden is practically filled with quotes that can be dissected and discussed at length.
"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. It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves." (4)
Thoreau is once again telling the reader why he decided to live simply in the woods. There was the need for escape, to get away from the norm, and try something new. Again, he is implying that we are not truly living our lives in the complicated and monotonous society. People are not getting out and exploring but are just living day-to-day doing the same activities over and over. Thoreau wished to do more with his time.
"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is." (13)
So is this what he discovered during his time in the woods? That, no matter what, life is good and will always improve? It's a wonderful quote and idea of how one should live their life. Why try and find the bad in everything? There are still good points to life, even if they are not apparent at all times. Something good can always come from it.
I could continue but I think I'll limit it to two quotes, although more can be found. This chapter allows the reader to see Thoreau's ideas on life and what he has taken from it and his stay in the forest. While not being preachy, Thoreau is telling us how we should strive to live- simply and loving our lives.
Posted by VanessaKolberg at October 5, 2005 11:48 AM | TrackBackWhen I first read the second quote that you posted I couldn't help think of The Bible. It tells us that we should be satisfied with everything that we have. No matter how bad we think things are and how much we want more and better things we need to humble ourselves and give thanks for what we do have.
Posted by: michelle koss at October 5, 2005 02:46 PMThoreau was a man of many perspectives, and many ideas, but one central theme: Transcendentalism. I personally loved that quote myself, because it seems that Thoreau had another perspective to look at. If you look at the world through one pair of glasses, how do you know if you're seeing the world clearly? I think he was looking for another place to expand his ideas.
Honestly, I don't think that any of his ideas were as strong as the ones in Walden. I think the main part of the conclusion was to find yourself as an individual and love yourself for it.
Posted by: Jason Pugh at October 5, 2005 03:25 PMi whole-heartedly agree with you. i think that this last chapter had so many inspirational quotes. and, i'm a sucker for inspirational quotes. everyone needs a little motivation now and then. and who better to draw that motivation from than Thoreau? i do not know.
Posted by: lauren etling at October 5, 2005 09:30 PMAll I got outta that was the fact that eventhough things go wrong, it could be worse. If you keep an open mind about the good things in your life, then it'll make it easier to accept the bad. As for finding faults in paradise, there is no such thing as PARADISE. People just create an illusion of it to escape from reality. Everyone has a paradise, for some it's an exotic island in the middle of nowhere, other's it's right at home on a winter night infront of a fire. Something good can come from any experience, even a bad one. You just have to take what you can get and move forward, and that's what I think Thoreau was trying to get across. Could be wrong though, very possible haha.
Posted by: ElizabethLudovici at October 5, 2005 10:30 PM