瓦尔登湖毕业论文

hContentsAn Analysis of the Value of H. D. Thoreaus Walden1I. Introduction1II. The Ecological Value of H. D. Thoreaus Walden2A. Nature as a Living Entity2B. Nature as a Means of Self-realization3III. The Social Value of H. D. Thoreaus Walden8A. Modern Peoples Social LifeStyle8B. The Causes of Such Lifestyle9C. The Influence of Thoreaus Walden on Current Social Life10IV. Enlightenment from Thoreaus Views of the Nature11A. The Entity of the Nature11B. The Diversity of the Nature12C. The Self-realization of Human beings in the Nature13V. Conclusion14Bibliography16Acknowledgements17uhAn Analysis of the Value of H. D. Thoreaus WaldenI.IntroductionHenry David Thoreau (1817-1862), a famous American writer in the nineteenth Century, author of Walden, was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard University in 1837. When he was young, he often went to the woods with his elder brother. Therefore he loved the Nature so deeply. In the 1950s, American economies soared so rapidly that there were a lot of people pursuing the material life but ignoring the spiritual life. However, Thoreau wanted to live simply. And at that time the Transcendentalist Movement was very popular in Concord, and Emerson did have a great influence on him. All of these that made Thoreau determine to build a cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, then he could live alone and be close to the Nature. Sooner, he wrote the famous book, Walden, which mainly talks about his life and experiences during those days when he lived by himself in the wood near Walden Pond. In 1845, Thoreau began his two-year residence at Walden Pond, and had put the theory of transcendentalism and Emersons opinions into practice. During that period of time, he maintained that man was a part of the nature and man could and should co-exist with the nature harmoniously. Today, he is regarded as one of major interpreters of the Nature as well as American environmental saint in American literary history. In fact, sometimes we should get rid of the hubbub of the society and life, regardless of what that means. The best place we should go to is the Nature. Only when we come back to the Nature can we realize our limitations and then better understand our life. Thoreau is not considered as a professional naturalist and his masterpiece Walden is not universally accepted and appreciated. But with the severity of environmental crises and the rise of environmental movements, Thoreaus philosophy on the nature and living simply had drawn the publics attention. At present, many researchers all over the world are paying much attention to ecology and implications of the modern society, they have emphasized the relationship between plants and living creatures as well as their environment. Based on the previous researches, this paper continues to analyze Thoreaus thoughts on the nature in Walden and states that he cannot merely be viewed as an ecological writer but one of the most representative naturalists, who focused on the nature itself. On the other hand, it discusses a few related topics like Under the Dome produced by Chaijing. By exerting means of historical criticism, discussing and analyzing his life background and Walden, we can easily find his opinions of the nature in Walden. We can see that his views about the nature had predicted the arrival of environmental crises, and had indicated the direction that people should move forward in the future. In general, Thoreau has left a great legacy to the world, he pointed out a lot of priceless implications for Man. Therefore, it is human beings duties to positively participate in the groups of environmental protection as Thoreau did, for it is really an effective way to protect and save our Earth. II.The Ecological Value of H. D. Thoreaus WaldenWith the thriving of industry in America in the 1850s, the environment was devastated severely by peoples excessive pursuits of materials. Facing such a situation, many scholars advocated to return to the nature. Thoreau, a typical representative in that period, formed his unique views of the nature. In this part, two main aspects of his thoughts of the nature will be interpreted: the nature is a living entity; and the nature is a means to make human beings know themselves completely, it also focuses on the relationship between Man and Nature and the implications for human life. A.Nature as a Living Entity As a representative of Romanticism, Thoreau believes that all things in the nature are alive and he deems human beings can feel the power of the nature merely by being close to the nature and living in the nature. Whats more, the nature is an organism that never dies, for the cycle of it is infinite. Since the nature has always been viewed as a living organism, so it is the nature that makes every object so meaningful to Thoreau. He said: “Nature must be viewed humanly at all; that is to say, the scenes must be associated with human affections. It indeed demonstrates his idea of things as living organism. In Thoreaus eyes, Walden Pond is more than an usual one in Concord. It is the symbol of all the nature. During his life at Walden Pond, he treated everything as alive. All the weeds in Pond were clean and bright. And even more he described Pond with beautiful language: “A lake is the landscapes most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earths eye, looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature”. (Thoreau, 2004: 143) It is obvious to see his romantic view of the nature, and we can really see that the nature is a living entity, our life is rooted in the nature, and is also continued by the nature. B.Nature as a Means of Self-realizationThoreau had always regarded the nature as a means of self-realization. That is to say, Thoreaus whole life is a process of seeking the self-realization. In his opinion, the nature is a means to make man know himself and to have a better understanding of what kind of relationship human beings should cope with the nature and what kind of life that human beings should lead to. It is obvious that human beings and the nature can keep a harmonious relationship, and at the same time, man should decrease the desire of materialism and money worship and then focus on the inner hearts.1.Relationship between Man and Nature In the 17th and 18th centuries, with the advent of the industrial revolution, the idea of the nature was increasingly related to a mechanical metaphor which regarded the nature as a dead machine whose function was just for humans exportation and money worship. This ridiculous attitude to the nature was definitely not accepted by Thoreau at all. Although he was not highly praised in his life, he variously obtained the title of “son of nature (Bronson Alcott),” “bachelor of nature (Leon Bazalgette),” and “lover of nature”. In Thoreaus eyes, man can maintain a harmonious relationship with the nature by being a dispensable part of the nature, returning to the nature and respecting the nature. As far as he was concerned, he thought that the nature is not only the house of human beings, but also the home of our souls, so that being harmonious with the nature is the best way to make the dream of self-realization and self-promotion come true.Besides, Thoreau indicated that natural exuberance was damaged by science and technology, which also destroyed the harmonious relationship between Man and Nature. In the chapter of Sound in Walden, Thoreau took the railway as an example to illustrate it, and was skeptical about human beings control of the nature, criticized our destroying to the nature. First of all, man belongs to the nature. It is universally held that man is the ruler of the nature. However, as a pure defender of the nature, Thoreau objected to it and gave the priority to the whole nature. In Thoreaus philosophy of the nature, one prominent aspect was his belief that man is “a part of the nature” who is equal to the nature. He made his remark clear in the following inspiring passage: “I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civilto regard man as inhabitant, or a part and parcel of nature, rather than being a member of society.”(Thoreau, 1971: 205) We can draw the conclusion from the above that is mentioned. On the one hand, Thoreau wished to be a defender of the nature, for its “absolute freedom and wildness”; on the other hand, Thoreau had expressed his own opinion of the relationship between Man and Nature. Rather than being a minister of the nature, man is “an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of the Nature.” This idea of the relationship between Man and Nature was vividly reflected in Walden which recorded his communion with the nature at Walden Pond. “I go and come with a strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself.” (Thoreau, 2004: 110) The union between Man and Nature is not merely a spiritual perfection that Thoreau always pursued, but also a doctrine that he fervently preached to others or to himself. Secondly, human beings return to the nature. Returning to the nature, namely, living a simple life was a popular slogan in Romantic period. Thoreau is different from other transcendentalists, he went deeply and profoundly into the nature and he was a naturalist. Because of his passion for the nature, Thoreau, we can see him a nature observer, had begun to live in Walden Pond for more than two years. During the time when he was at Walden Pond, Thoreau lived in a life free from materialistic pursuits, he reduced his material requirements to the minimum, and even tried to be self-sufficient in everything. And he not only observed the nature, but also put his passion of the nature into the communication with the animals and plants, and made himself a part of the nature, close to the nature both instinctive and sensitive. From Thoreaus perspective, if man wants to pursue the high quality and healthy life, he should return to the nature and live a simple life. “While I enjoy the friendship of the seasons I trust that nothing can make life a burden to me”. (Thoreau, 2004: 112) He also thought that “man who has inherited farms, houses, barns cattle, and farming tools is a fools life”. (Thoreau, 2004: 2-3) Furthermore, human beings are born with the relationship with the naturethey must eat, drink, and decompose within a natural environment. Nature is a permanent home. These thoughts can be found frequently in Walden. “As I preferred some things to others, and especially valued my freedom, as I could fare hard and yet succeed well, I did not wish to spend my time in earning rich carpets or other fine furniture, or delicate cookery, or a house in the Grecian or the Gothic style just yet.”（Thoreau, 2004: 59) Surely it can be seem as an evident that the life which Thoreau preferred was the philosophers, i.e., returning to the nature and leading a simple lifea life of profound thought and wisdom, and also a life that is harmonious with the nature. Thirdly, people respect the nature. Because of the development of the industrial revolution, as well as the emergence of modern science, there was an increase on mans desire for resources from the nature. We all know that human beings are an part of the nature, so we should respect the nature as well as keep a harmonious relationship with it. Viewed from every aspect, Thoreaus nature is a harmonious one. It is easy to see his impressive descriptions of the nature in Walden such as some harmonious pictures. In the first days of September, when he saw two or three small leaves turning scarlet across the Pond, beneath where the white stems of three aspens diverged at the point of a promontory, next to water, the nature itself appears to Thoreau to be a gallery. Thoreau was advocating the harmonious relationship between himself and his neighbors, such as the animals, the plants there. Through his own experiences, Thoreau expressed his thoughts that human beings and animals are not enemies, but neighbors, friends, or the familiar residents in the global world. “The natural day is very calm, and will hardly reprove his indolence”. (Thoreau, 2004: 96)From the above, it is necessary for man to maintain a harmonious relationship with nature. Thoreaus famous proclamation: “In Wildness is the preservation of the world.” (Thoreau, 2007: 202) Thus, human beings are required to respect the nature as well as pursue harmoniously with the nature.2. Simplicity and Diversity of Life With the advancement of technology, human beings did cause disasters to the nature because we have obtained more and more from the nature. The industrialization of New England has turned man into nonhuman. An increasing number of naturalists support the simplest material life and the richest spiritual life. All of them have advocated that this kind of lifestyle, because it is not merely available or valuable nowadays but also essential and significant. Therefore we should return to the nature and enjoy the simple life. Thoreau also had expressed the same opinions in Walden, that is “Simplify, simplify, simplify”. Living in Walden Pond for more than two years can most convince to demonstrate his view of “outward simplicity” and “inward richness”. He almost gave up all the pursuits of materials and realized the goal of living simply and not being tired of life. On the one hand, we should be simple in the outward. During that time, lot of Americans was suffering a lot from the materialistic- oriented life. And a large number of people have paid much attention to the material and that had made them be slaves to money, slaves to land, or slaves to railroads. We can find at each beginning of every chapter at Walden, Thoreau carried out a view that human beings should work for only two days a week, the rest are for entertainment. In Walden, he did strongly criticize the American lifestyle: “The nation itself, with all its so-called internal improvements, which, by the way are all external and superficial, is just such an unwieldy and overgrown establishment, cluttered with furniture and tripped up by its own traps, ruined by luxury and heedless expense, by want of calculation and a worthy aim, as the million households in the land; and the only cure for it, as for them, is in a rigid economy, a stern and more than Spartan simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.”(Thoreau, 2004: 97-98) He thought this a lifestyle would surely bring about contamination and devastation to the nature. The result of this action would definitely destruct human beings life. So he strongly criticized and reminded that people who were indulged in making more money and were enslaved by the industry and machines or the luxuries of modern materials. Therefore, it is time for us to rethink and recreate a new lifestyle. It is obvious to see his aspiration for simple life of the nature through the description and experience at Walden Pond. The essential reason for Thoreau to exert his experiment at Walden is to seek out a simple life. During more than two years life at Walden, Thoreau really had pursued his own simple life like building a cabin, growing plants, listening to the sounds of animals and so on. He felt the pleasure of the nature. And this is the reason why he did not feel lonely even if he was living alone. On the other hand, we should be rich in hearts, “Nature and human life are as various as several constitutions”. (Thoreau, 2004: 165) Thoreau led such a life at Walden Pond. During his life, he had been almost always living in the natural environment, and then he could observe the nature, described the nature or even research on it. Because of integrating with the nature so well, he regarded the nature as the main material for writing; and also he devoted his whole life to observing the nature and write down its beauty. As far as Thoreau was concerned, the “simple” and “plain” outwards could make inner colorful and rich. In Solitude, he said: “there can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of Nature and has his senses still.” (Thoreau, 2004: 111) It was he, the great writer, who proved that human beings should be close to the nature and return to the nature. Also he had the spirit to make his dreams come true and do so many contributions to the whole world. III.The Social Value of H. D. Thoreaus Walden A.Modern Peoples Social LifeStyleThe economy of our society is now a market-based pattern so that commerce is the most important interest among people. On the one hand, human beings are prompted to pursue the maximum material profit. That is to say, the property is the only symbol of social status and powers. On the other hand, most of people suffer from avoidance in terms of their spiritual lives, especially they lack a sense of security. It seems that they gain a lot in material, but at the same time, they lost more in spirit. People just get something which have nothing to do with our lives while miss the most significant emotions such as happiness that should be valued during our lifetime. In terms of the richness in modern material life, people tend to lead a luxurious and extravagant life. They are indulged in various kinds of entertainments and enjoyment. In order to achieve this consumption, they have to work hard to make more money. Consequently, work and consumption become the main content of peoples daily life, and they hardly have time to think and consider how to make their life meaningful and valuable. As for the voidance in spiritual life, its known to all of us that there appears a great many people who have mental disorders to some extent. They profit their dreams and ideals gradually to pursue the profit from the reality. Therefore, they often feel a sense of loneliness and depression, and they long for a spiritual repose to lead off their own sufferings. For example, the invention of cell phones and Internet provide a platform to drain negative feelings. We are now in a numerous and complicated world, but we cannot express our emotions in plentiful words. It seems that modern people are just used to sending micro-message, taking micro-film and reading micro-novel. Whether modern human beings can never surpass the great work our predecessors left us which are worth thinking about.B.The Causes of Such Lifestyle Looking back to the nearly 100 years, the material wealth created the total summation of the old days. We are always confident that we do everything right, at the same time, we are subjected to wars and disasters. It seems that human beings are exterminating the civilization with their own hand while they are creating it. In other words, people feel vast and hazy. For my part, there are two major reasons causing such a life style. The first reason is mainly about the rapid economic development of our society. The wealth people brought about in late 100 years reaches a peak. And the invention of high technology impels people to pursue more beneficial result. For instance, since 1990s, many high techniques such as electronic information, organisms and new makings have achieved great breakthrough, which changes the face of the world and pushes forward the process of globalization. Being such high-developed world, people can make full use of theseadvantages to improve their living standard. Therefore, there is no doubt that they experience a rich life. However,accompany, they have to make great efforts to get a good job in the intense competed society. So they dont have vigor to pursue the richness in their spiritual life. The second reason is about people themselves. We all know that any requirement comes from human beings desire, and their desire is greedy. There is a contradiction people have to