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Thoreau and Leopold, 2002.
A paper contrasting and comparing Aldo Leopold's 'Sand County Almanac' and Henry David Thoreau's 'Walden'.
2,751 words (approx. 11.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 82.95
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Abstract
The following paper discusses the differences and similarities in the views of nature preservationists Aldo Leopold and Henry David Thoreau as presented in their works 'A Sand County Almanac' and 'Walden'. The writer focuses on five key areas-- human spirituality in nature, technology and progress, descriptions of nature, the market economy and humans' interaction with and place within nature.
From the Paper
"Writing as far as 103 years apart, Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold have differing views on some issues while both essentially remaining preservationists. The century that separated Thoreau and Leopold saw the closing of the western frontier in 1890 as well as rapid modernization. These changes affected the ways in which the two nature writers viewed the world around them as well as the relations between humankind and nature. The five main areas which Thoreau and Leopold explore throughout Walden and A Sand County Almanac are, human spirituality in nature, technology and progress, descriptions of nature, the market economy and humans' interaction with and place within nature. Both authors discuss each of these areas throughout their books and the differences and similarities in their opinions on each of these subjects reveals much about each nature writer's historical context, time period and his personal beliefs."
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"King Leopold's Ghost", 2005.
This paper discusses Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost" about the avaricious activities of Leopold II, King of the Belgian, in the Congo.
1,415 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 0 sources, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost" is a brilliant historical account of how Leopold II, King of the Belgian, carved a personal empire and fortune from the Congo and how Edmund Morel, a clerk for the Elder Dempster shipping company, led an international campaign to expose the monarch's criminal enterprise. The author points out that Leopold's single-minded ambition, adroit diplomacy, skillful corruption and ruthless brutality brought him, already one of Europe's wealthiest men, untold riches, while for the Congolese people it brought only unbelievable suffering. The paper states that the "ghost" in the book's title relates to (1) after Leopold's death, rumors abounded that he had not really died but instead had gone to live in the Congo or (2) a more plausible claim emerged that Leopold's ghost would return to haunt the Congo for more than three decades after independence in the form of Mobutu Sese Seku, also a master criminal driven by vampire avarice.
From the Paper
"From the start, Leopold's Congo administration required Congolese labor, at first as portage to carry ivory, then to construct the railway. With the commercial emphasis switching to rubber, the Congo Free State was faced with a problem. Obviously, the state could purchase ivory, or seize it at the point of a gun, but it was impossible to oversee the harvesting of rubber latex, Its collection required going deep into the rain forests to find the rubber vines. So the Congo Free State's militias, the Force Publique, developed a brutal system which involved raiding villages and seizing women and children as hostages, only releasing them when the men brought in quotas of rubber."
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Joseph Wood Krutch's "Henry David Thoreau", 2004.
Review and analysis of Krutch's book on the life of Henry David Thoreau.
1,018 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper presents the author's view of Joseph Wood Krutch's book about the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau. The paper describes Krutch's book, entitled simply "Henry David Thoreau", as more of a study on what Thoreau was all about than an biography of his life. Thus, the book, though it does include biographical information, focuses more on Thoreau's writing than his life. The paper goes on to point out that Krutch holds Thoreau in high regard and that Krutch manages to impart this feeling on his reader, which leaves the reader feeling fascinated with Thoreau's outlook on life, as well.
From the Paper
"Krutch continues his investigations into Thoreau?s philosophy on life by considering his works and the views presented in them. Interestingly, Krutch points out that Thoreau did not have one overall philosophy but that it changed over the range of his works and in many cases, contradicted itself. This is another case where something that could be perceived as a negative is presented as a positive. Krutch presents these contradiction not as a sign that Thoreau was not intelligent or focused, but rather as a sign that he was philosophizing based on his own personal journey. Once again, this can be compared to other scholars who create a philosophy and then spend their time trying to justify the philosophy. Thoreau did not take this same approach, but instead focused on experiencing everything without regard for how it would be viewed by others."
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David Orr and Aldo Leopold, 2005.
Compares views on ethics and economics in books by David Orr and Aldo Leopold.
1,850 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
David Orr and Aldo Leopold have overlapping views about ethics and economics in their books. Throughout David Orr's book, "Ecological Literacy," Orr often refers and agrees with Leopold about an assortment of subjects. David Orr has a sense of respect for Leopold and his views ranging from education to economics. The paper shows that, throughout Aldo Leopold's book, "A Sand County Almanac," Leopold portrays a deep understanding of ecology and the wilderness while taking the reader on a journey of the land. The paper examines how Orr and Leopold have many views on the environment that overlap throughout their books.
From the Paper
"Throughout the second part of Orr's book he discusses the role of education and what it must play in a person's life. Orr (1992) stresses that, "all education is environmental education,"(p.). and quotes Leopold throughout this part of the book numerous times. Orr believes that education must help students get acquainted with deeper causes of crises that lie ahead in their future, such as sustainability. He (1992) discusses the ecological literacy and sustainability and believes that "failure to develop ecological literacy is a sin of omission and of commission," (p., Orr). Orr believes "we" need to know the basics about the earth and how it works before "we" learn about anything else, if this does not happen students will start to believe that ecology is unimportant, unlike history, math, and science. He also feels that students only learn what is sufficient to get through classes, but do not do anything about ecological deterioration."
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Henry David Thoreau, 2002.
A biography of the life and work of the writer Henry David Thoreau.
2,549 words (approx. 10.2 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 77.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the life and work of Henry David Thoreau, considered to be one of the greatest American writers of the 19th century. It looks at how Thoreau is remembered as an eccentric man who shunned the norms of society, instead opting to live alone, with nature, at Walden Pond. It discusses how he was truly committed to civil disobedience and how his political thinking was somehow linked to his greater philosophy of nature. In this light Thoreau is considered as a reflective writer who had important reflections on every aspect of human life and society, including the political.
Outline
Introduction
Thoreau?s Life
Thoreau?s Religious Ideas
American Transcendentalism and Thoreau
Civil Disobedience
Conclusion
From the Paper
"In 1845, Thoreau built a cabin on Emerson's land near Walden Pond and lived there for a few years. He stayed in this natural setting in an effort to simplify his life, cut his living expenses and devote his time to nature and his writing. During his stay at Walden creek, he wrote two books, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, a description of a rowboat trip he took with his brother, and Walden, an account of his life that sealed Thoreau's reputation as an esteemed author.
Shortly after moving into his cabin, Thoreau refused to pay a government-issued poll tax as an act of protest against slavery and was put in jail. Against his wishes, his aunt paid his bail and he was set free. He wrote his famous essay, ?Civil Disobedience?, about this experience, urging readers to violate unjust laws. Throughout his life, Thoreau continued to protest slavery, war and anything else he felt was immoral."
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"Walden" by Thoreau, 2005.
An explication of an extract taken from Chapter 2 of "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.
5,471 words (approx. 21.9 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 134.95
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Abstract
This paper studies a passage taken from the second chapter "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau and looks at how it is in a way emblematic of Thoreau's work. The paper illustrates how "Walden" can be considered an intense reading experience and examines how Thoreau's plea for simplicity leads us to consider true reality as the very object of Thoreau's quest.
From the Paper
"Movement and stability, for we are mainly dealing with Life itself, go along with one natural element in particular - water, the imagery of which is much developed in the second paragraph of our text. Psychology would surely see a feminine figure here and interpret it as the representation of Mother Nature, after all Walden Pond is a big expanse of...water located in the center of Thoreau's life. In this respect, M. Granger explains in his book Henry David Thoreau: "La relation avec les femmes lui etant impossible, on peut se demander dans quelle mesure la frequentation assidue et l'observation passionnee de la Mere-Nature n'ont pas constitue une sublimation compensatrice, le reconfort d'un domaine de substitution aisement amenageable par l'imaginaire." (p.27-28) Nature is clearly an intrinsic part of Thoreau's way of writing and literature."
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Henry David Thoreau: The Complex Struggle for Simplicity, 2002.
A discussion of how the life and mentality of Henry David Thoreau were shaped by America during the Gilded Age.
2,842 words (approx. 11.4 pages), 13 sources, MLA, $ 84.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the life of Henry David Thoreau, recognized as one of the great writers of America and a product of the New England transcendental movement. It examines how Thoreau's life was greatly influenced by his friends and family when he was young and how his family and their abolitionist views provided a foundation for Thoreau's seemingly eclectic ideals which later showed themselves in many of his actions. It analyzes how "Walden" and many other works were written when Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years to isolate himself from society and to expand his transcendentalist philosophies. It shows how Thoreau's views on society and his transcendentalist philosophies have hugely impacted many people in today's society and how his writings and ideals have left a lasting legacy in the minds of Americans throughout the years.
From the Paper
"Christened David Henry by his father, John Thoreau, and his mother, Cynthia Dunbar, Thoreau ?was a product of heterogeneous ancestry?Scotch, English, and French? (Harding 1). He later changed his name, for reasons he would never reveal, to Henry David. The Thoreau family was known as a family of independent thinkers, and the ideas and moral traits that he was exposed to as a boy helped to build his character. Thoreau?s mother was a strong-minded woman who was actively concerned with abolitionist issues and social work, as well as an immanent interest in natural history. The family had even harbored fugitive slaves, which instilled in Thoreau an abolitionist conviction. Thoreau worked with his father for a short time producing graphite for pencil lead, but ?his father?s long series of business failures during Thoreau?s youth must have had a profound influence on Thoreau?s outlook toward society? (Harding 102). Thoreau was introduced to the daughter of a Unitarian minister, Ellen Sewall, on July 30, 1839."
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Thoreau's Natural Vacations, 2003.
Argues that even Henry David Thoreau, the great advocate of man's "natural" state, was able to stray only so far from the comforts of modern life.
3,728 words (approx. 14.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 103.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the writings of Henry David Thoreau, such as "Civil Disobedience", "Walden", "Walking", and "Ktaadn". It compares his writings with his biographical history to raise the question of whether Thoreau actually "practiced what he preached". The paper concludes that, while Thoreau's philosophical thoughts are interesting, the evidence in his essays does not permit Thoreau to be seen as an example of man?s ability to live in harmony with the natural world, but only as an example of the modern, fair-weather camper. While his writing is deeply meaningful on a philosophical level, on a practical one, it only reveals the struggle between the love of simplicity and the want of luxury.
From the Paper
"Henry David Thoreau, regarded by many as the father of environmentalism, was indeed influential in championing the great interest in nature that led to later movements toward environmental protection. He was the first to notice that the country?s trend toward an industrialist economy was having a damaging effect on the environment and to call his fellow citizens ?back to nature? through his essays, the most influential being ?Walden,? documenting his experiences living in a small cabin on secluded Walden Pond. Through lists of items bought and sold, and accounts of the labor that went in to creating his refuge, Thoreau attempts to prove to readers that it is not difficult to live as a part of nature, instead of struggling against it, and that a man actually needs much less than one might think to survive. However, it is evident in Thoreau?s work that while he undoubtedly believed all that he wrote, and was filled with a desire to go back to living in nature as his ancestors did, he was able to stray only so far from the comforts of the industrialist age. His life and works present a conflict of beliefs and practices, of his yearning for a simpler life and his inability to follow it to its end. In Thoreau there can be found a depiction of the struggle that continues today, namely the conflict between the desire for living purely and simply and the desire for modern comforts. Thoreau was not a man of nature, as his essays urge one to conclude, but a nature connoisseur, returning to it only as a brief respite from the bustle of everyday life."
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Henry David Thoreau, 2005.
This paper is a personal essay describing the author's exploration of the writings of Henry David Thoreau, especially the theme of science and nature's relationship to the individual.
2,340 words (approx. 9.4 pages), 14 sources, MLA, $ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Thoreau, who graduated in 1837 from Harvard College, was influenced by Transcendentalists, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bronson Alcott, who were drawn to a more personal and perceptive relationship with God. The author points out that, from an early age, Thoreau was drawn to the natural world around him; at the age of five, he was taken to Walden Pond on Emerson's property, and it is there his love of nature was born. The paper relates that Thoreau's association with science can be evaluated from ecological, humanist, and symbologist viewpoints; the author believes that Thoreau as a poet reflects a combination of these viewpoints.
From the Paper
"Why was Thoreau so obsessed with measuring, calculating, and cataloging everything he observed? While reading through is journals, I suspected I had found an answer. While under Emerson's tutelage, Thoreau's beliefs were a virtual photocopy of Emerson's. In fact, I couldn't seem to find any discrepancies in their beliefs. Both assumed a Creationist view, which held that the maker of the universe was still maintaining his creation. Both believed that internal divinity allows the individuals to directly know their creator. Their belief was supported by nature itself: since nature was created by God and nature can be experienced by the individual, he/she directly experiences God."
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Henry David Thoreau's ?Resistance to Civil Government?, 2006.
This paper analyzes the writing style of Henry David Thoreau in his essay "Resistance to Civil Government".
760 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 0 sources, $ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Thoreau's essay "Resistance to Civil Government" is informative and persuasive because he uses many of his own personal experiences and beliefs in concrete detail. The author points out that, throughout the paper, Thoreau uses sarcasm and irony delivered through narrative devices. The paper concludes that Thoreau writes about the evil of complexity as if he was writing to the people of our society in 2006: Simplicity still provides an easy way out of tough situations.
From the Paper
" Thoreau also includes many metaphors and similes. In one of the beginning paragraphs, Thoreau states that the government is a sort of "wooden gun to the people themselves". In this he is describing how a single man can bend it to his will. Thoreau also states that the standing army is only an arm of the standing government. In this he is expressing that the objections brought against the standing army alone will make an impact, but a very small one on the overall government. Thoreau also explains the State as being half-witted, that is was timid as a lone woman with her silver spoons. Throughout this essay, Thoreau uses diction, his choice of words, strongly to provide a more effective explanation of his theories."
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Thoreau and Cultural Change of the Sixties, 2001.
This paper discusses the works of Henry David Thoreau and the debate whether his writings were truly an influence on the 1960's cultural revolution, or if his works were misconstrued by society.
1,700 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 5 sources, $ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the influence of Thoreau?s writings on the 1960?s Cultural Revolution. It looks at the cultural change that took place during the 60s and how his writings laid the foundation for the social system, which prevails in America today. The author also discusses the argument that Thoreau?s views were not in conformity with the cultural change of 60's, rather different generations formed own their views and presented contorted interpretations of Thoreau?s beliefs.
From the Paper
"In order to gain a better understanding of Thoreau?s writings, it is important to discuss the movement and philosophy, which had a major impact on his work. Thoreau was an unknown and unpublished writer when Ralph Waldo Emerson published Nature, an essay which articulates the philosophical underpinnings of the Transcendentalist movement. This religious and social philosophy aimed at encouraging independent spiritual thinking. Most of the proponents of this movement were Unitarian ministers who dismissed the rationalist and conservative view of life. Thoreau later became an influential part of this movements and along with Emerson, he also came to be regarded as the one the greatest American thinkers and philosophers. The writings of Emerson had been an inspiration for Thoreau and his writings often illustrate the same philosophical depth. In his famous essay Nature, Emerson wrote, ?The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relation to the universe? Why should not we have poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition, and a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs??
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Thoreau's ?Walden?, 2002.
A discussion of transcendentalism in Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" and other works.
1,676 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the life and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, known as one of the founders of transcendentalism. It focuses on his book "Walden" which is based on his two-year stint at Walden Pond, his own experiment on creating a utopian world. It evaluates how "Walden" is a much a treatise on philosophy as it is on nature and how the opening chapter, "Economy," reveals much about Thoreau, including his feelings about life, how people lived at the time and even his opposition to slavery. It shows how Thoreau's experiment at Walden was in part the very foundation of transcendentalism and how he grew even more in tune with the natural world around him and certainly looked deeply inside himself to discover his core beliefs and spirituality.
From the Paper
"As Thoreau spent time at Walden, he also looked at his time as a business enterprise. He hoped to sell ice from the pond in the wintertime, while growing his own crops in the summer. Indeed, after his first summer growing season, he sold "nine bushels and twelve quarts of beans" in town, making a small profit on his investment in seed and tools (Thoreau 147). Of course, the main reason he retired to Walden was to live with nature, contemplate himself and the world around him, and learn more about himself. He managed to do all these things, while strengthening his wonder in the natural world, and its importance in our society. Even in 1845, people were moving farther away from nature, and Thoreau felt this was wrong ? people needed to spend more time with nature, not less."
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Thoreau on Government, 2002.
This paper analyzes the writing of Henry David Thoreau, with specific focus on his views on government.
1,733 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 56.95
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Abstract
According to the paper, Thoreau's essays give strong statements of the importance and power of conscience. The writer brings examples from the essays to illustrate Thoreau's theory that the compulsion of conscience can conflict with the laws of society so that the individual may have to express his deeply-felt beliefs and take the consequences. The paper concludes with a comparison to the beliefs of Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the Paper
"Thoreau says that government is at best an expedient, a way to get things done for a time, but not a necessity in itself. Most governments in fact operate in a manner that is inexpedient, and he cites a number of instances of this, such as maintaining a standing army when that is not necessary. Thoreau says he is not asking for no government at all, at least in the immediate, but for better government, and as he then proceeds to show, civil disobedience is one way to express his view and to make his desires known."
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Emerson and Thoreau, 2002.
Compares Ralph Waldo Emerson?s ?Self-Reliance? and Henry David Thoreau?s ?Civil Disobedience.?
1,191 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
When one thinks of the American writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, one immediately thinks of personal liberties and freedoms, civil and environmental responsibility and, above all, non-conformity. By comparing the "Self-Reliance" by Emerson and "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau, the paper shows how these issues are reflected in the works of these two writers.
From the Paper
"Thoreau believed each individual should let it be ?known what kind of government would command his respect and that will be one step toward obtaining it? (Thoreau pg). The government, he felt, valued men, not as creative individuals, but as mere commodities. Like Emerson, Thoreau observed that society rewards those who give themselves partially to good works, calling them benefactors and philanthropists, yet the man who ?gives himself entirely to his fellow-men appears to them useless and selfish? (Thoreau pg).
Emerson believed that each individual should seek peace by looking within and being true to one?s soul. Thoreau believed that man should go one step further by voicing openly his disdain for injustice and intolerance."
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Emerson's and Thoreau's Social Criticisms, 2003.
A look at the techniques used by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in their evaluations and criticisms of 19th century American society.
2,023 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 64.95
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In this paper, the writer looks at the approaches Emerson and Thoreau take to social criticism. The writer shows that they share a common dislike of a large society that dwarfs and silences the individual. It then shows that the two authors have many differences in their style of criticism. Whereas Emerson writes to inspire the masses to change and create a better society, Thoreau writes in a less optimistic style, aiming to affect individual readers, so that they might rise above their flawed society rather than be a part of an improved one.
From the Paper
"The two American literary pioneers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau gave voice to a philosophy of individualism and a mode of life striving to reach something beyond ordinary existence. In fact, the two were close friends, sharing very similar thoughts concerning American life in the 19th century. Thoreau was a neighbor of Emerson?s, and for a short time was actually employed by Emerson as a handyman. Emerson played a key role in having Thoreau?s early work published ? both in the Transcendentalist newspaper The Dial (of which Emerson was the editor), as well as to a wider audience."
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