A Criticism on Walden

I must start off by expressing how wonderful of an account I believe Walden to be. Thoreau definitely outdid himself with its writing, and its ideas ring clearly with me, giving it a special place in my heart and mind.

The criticism I chose to analyze on this lovely piece about Thoreau's stay at Walden Pond was titled "Thoreau's Walden and the American Dream: Challenge or Myth?" and was written by Michaela Keck. The criticism broke down the main themes of Walden, and then compared them with the ideas of the American Dream and Thoreau's own philosophies of it. It was definitely interesting to read, and it brought up a few points that particularly caught my eye.

The first thing that I noticed in my analysis of this criticism was that the author at one point almost accuses Thoreau of hypocrisy (Keck). She touches upon the fact that he was a strong supporter of self-reliance, independence, and the simplest form of leaving, yet during his stay at Walden Pond, he often ate supper with his family who were still nearby (Keck). While the text does not seem to mention this, he does point out that his location is near to civilization while still being out in nature. I found this accusation odd until the author justified it with the reminder of this era's family-centered feelings (Keck). It also made a lot of sense to me. While separating entirely from the world would be best to recompose one's thoughts, if one is trying to change the public opinion of such things, should they not also stay at least somewhat in touch with society? Elsewise, how could they hope to reform something they do not understand? To me, his attachment to society makes perfect sense.

The second point is where Walden begins to be compared to the American Dream (Keck). Before, I had always thought of the American Dream as something very simple, such as a rags to riches sort of tale of success. However, this author cited another who believed it to be about new beginnings, and in this way, the American Dream corresponds perfectly with Walden (Keck). What Thoreau was trying to achieve in isolating himself at Walden Pond was a new perspective of life. He wanted to find an inner independence and a way to keep in touch with nature long after he had left it. He was looking for a new beginning, and thus, he was looking for this definition of the American Dream.

The criticism also mentioned the importance of the shore to Thoreau (Keck). It stated that he viewed the shore as the place where opposites met and became one, merging into something easily viewed and understood by the world (Keck). It is an interesting concept, and the fact that he lived on the shores of Walden Pond only helps with the idea that Thoreau was trying to gain a fresh perspective of everything because where better to do that than on the neutral ground of a shore?

Again, I found this criticism interesting to read, as it presented thoughts on Thoreau's stay at Walden Pond that I would never had thought on my own. While it is always good to be original, this goes to show that others' opinions can be helpful in defining one's own opinions.

Works Cited

Keck, Michaela. "Thoreau's Walden and the American Dream: Challenge or Myth?" In Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29, Nov. 2010. http://www.fofweb.com/.