The Role Of Transcendentalism In Henry David Thoreau's Economy
Henry David Thoreau spent much time studying nature and applying those studies to the human condition. His Transcendentalist ideas shone through in his writings and his life. In “Economy” he asks, “Why has man rooted himself thus firmly in the earth, but that he may rise in the same proportion into the heavens above” (Thoreau 58). He asks this question in response to man’s ever increasing need to have more than the basic necessities of life. In other words, if we have warmth, food, water, and clothing what purpose does added luxury serve. Thoreau reinforces this later when he writes, “When I have met an immigrant tottering under a bundle which contained his all – looking like an enormous wen which had grown out of the nape of his neck – I have pitied him, not because that was his all, but because he had all that to carry” (Thoreau 110). In Thoreau’s opinion these things only hamper one’s ability to rise above a mundane existence. Moving to the pond and living off what it supplied helped him in that quest.
…show more content…
The sounds of the natural world, as well as the opportunities he afforded himself to sit in the sun, offered a unique opportunity to for inner reflection. While he must have gotten much joy from reading and learning he understood that true understanding could only come from observing what nature offered. He continued, “…I was reminded of the lapse of time. I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been. They were not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance” (Thoreau 157). How beautiful it must have been for him to have this time to search within himself through nature. Knowing and understanding that nature provides an environment to grow spiritually allowed Mr. Thoreau to learn his place in the world and accept it
The sounds of the natural world, as well as the opportunities he afforded himself to sit in the sun, offered a unique opportunity to for inner reflection. While he must have gotten much joy from reading and learning he understood that true understanding could only come from observing what nature offered. He continued, “…I was reminded of the lapse of time. I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been. They were not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance” (Thoreau 157). How beautiful it must have been for him to have this time to search within himself through nature. Knowing and understanding that nature provides an environment to grow spiritually allowed Mr. Thoreau to learn his place in the world and accept it