关于瓦尔登湖中大卫梭罗的自然观分析.docx

关于瓦尔登湖中大卫梭罗的自然观分析.docx

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关于瓦尔登湖中大卫梭罗的自然观分析

I.Introduction

A.AbouttheauthorHenryDavidThoreau

HenryDavidThoreauwasbornin1817.Hisfather,John,wasapencilmaker.ThoreaustudiedatHarvardUniversitybetween1833and1837.In1837,heworkedasapencilmakerwithhisfather,ahandyman,afarmer,yetwasatthesametimeanaccomplishedGreekscholar.

HenryDavidThoreauwasacomplexmanofmanytalentswhoworkedhardtoshapehiscraftandhislife,seeinglittledifferencebetweenthem.Oneofhisfirstmemorieswasofstayingawakeatnight“lookingthroughthestarstoseeifIcouldseeGodbehindthem.”OnemightsayheneverstoppedlookingintonatureforultimateTruth.

HenrygrewupveryclosetohisolderbrotherJohn,whotaughtschooltohelppayforHenry’stuitionatHarvard.Whilethere,HenryreadasmallbookbyhisConcordneighbor,RalphWaldoEmerson,Nature,andinasenseheneverfinishedexploringitsideas—althoughalwaysdefinitelyonhisownterms,justasheexploredeverything!

He andhisbrothertaughtschoolforawhilebutin1842,Johncuthimselfwhileshavinganddiedoflockjawinhisbrother’sarms,anuntimelydeathwhichtraumatizedthe25-year-oldHenry.He workedforseveralyearsasasurveyormakingpencilswithhisfather,butattheageof28in1845,wantingtowritehisfirstbook,hewenttoWaldenPondandbuilthiscabinonlandownedbyEmerson.

WhileatWalden,Thoreaudidanincredibleamountofreadingandwriting,yethealsospentmuchtimesaunteringinnature.Hegavealectureandwasimprisonedbrieflyfornotpayinghispolltax,butmostlyhewroteabookasamemorialtoarivertriphehadtakenwithhisbrother,A WeekontheConcordandMerrimackRivers.

Aftertwoyears,ThoreaureturnedtoConcord—abaretwomilesawaywhichhehadvisitedfrequentlyduringhisstayatthepond,havingcompletedhisexperimentinlivingandhisbook.Unfortunately,fewpeoplewereinterestedinpurchasinghisbook,sohespentthenextnineyears,surveyingandmakingpencilsattimesbutprimarilywritingandrewritingWaldenbeforetryingtopublishit.He supportedhimselfbysurveyingandmakingafewlectures,oftenonhisexperienceatWaldenPond.He traveledoften,totheMainewoodsandtoCapeCodseveraltimes,andwasparticularlyinterestedinthefrontierandIndians.He opposedthegovernmentforwagingtheMexicanwareloquentlyinResistancetoCivilGovernment,basedonhisbriefexperienceinjail,helecturedagainstslaveryinanabolitionistlecture,SlaveryinMassachusetts.He evensupportedJohnBrown’seffortstoendslaveryaftermeetinghiminConcord,asinA PleaforCaptainJohnBrown.

Thoreaudiedoftuberculosisin1862,attheageof44.Hislastwordsweresaidtobe“Moose”and“Indian”.Notonlydidheleavehistwobooksandnumerousessays,buthealsoleftahugeJournalpublishedlaterin20volumes,whichmayhavebeenhismajorwork-in-progress.Manymemorialswerepennedbyhisfriends,includingEmerson’seulogyandLouisaMayAlcott’spoem,“Thoreau’sFlute.”

HenryDavidThoreauwasagreatAmericanwriteroftranscendentalisminthe19thcentury,andnowisthefirstmajorwriterdescribingnatureinAmericanliteraturehistory.HisunderstandingofnatureisunprecedentedinAmericanliterature.Thoreau’slifelongdevotiontohisprofessionofdescriptionofnatureinworkslikeWaldenmakeshimasimpleofcultureformodernAmericans,eventhewholeworld.Inasense,HenryDavidThoreaustandsinalongtraditionofformingselvesandvoicesinhiswriting.OftenknownasanAmericanpoet,essayistandphilosopher,ThoreaulivesoutthetenetsofTranscendentalismandrecountstheexperienceinhisWalden.HeisoneofthefewAmericanauthorsthathavebeenadmiredorcritiquedglobally.In1995,WalterHardingturnedoutanarticletitled‘‘Thoreau’sReputation’’tryingtorenderapanoramicviewofhowThoreauhadbeenperceivedinaworldotherthantheUnitedStates.

B.AbouttheworkWalden

WhenWaldenwaspublishedin1854,itwasnotwellacceptedbypeople.Insteaditwasregardedas“wickedandheathenish”.ItwaspublishedonlythetimeuntilThoreaudiedofdisease.Butmanyyearslaterespeciallyintwentiethcentury,itwasgraduallyknownandappreciatedbylotsofreadersallovertheworld.

Waldenemphasizestheimportanceofself-reliance,solitude,contemplation,andclosenesstonature.Thebookisneitheranovelnoratrueautobiography,butcombinesthesegenreswithasocialcritiqueandmaterialistattitudes.Thebookisnotsimplyacriticismofsociety,butalsoanattempttoengagecreativelywiththebetteraspectsofcontemporarycultureissuggestedbothbyhisproximitytoConcordsocietyandbyhisadmirationforclassicalliterature.Therearesignsofambiguity,oranattempttoseeanalternativesideofsomethingcommon—thesoundofapassinglocomotive,forexample,iscomparedtonaturalsounds.

WaldenisbelievedtohavebeeninspiredbyAmericanTranscendentalism,aphilosophydevelopedbyThoreau’sfriendandspiritualmentorRalphWaldoEmerson.EmersonownedthelandonwhichThoreaubuilthiscabinatWaldenPond,andThoreauusedtowalkovertoEmerson’shouseforamealandaconversation.ThoreauregardedhissojournatWaldenasanobleexperimentwithathreefoldpurpose.ItshouldcomeasnosurprisethatWaldenisnowaniconforenvironmentalists,andatouchstoneforAmericansseekingto“getintouchwithnature.”

Ⅱ.AnalysisofHenryDavidThoreau’sviewofnature

A.Theinfluenceofsociety

InthehistoryofAmericanliteraturethereisnostrongertiebetweenawriterandaplacethanthetiebetweenThoreauandConcordMassachusetts．ThoreauhasrivedallhislifeinConcordwhichprovideshimwithnaturalsurroundingsandsocialbackground．Moreover,ThoreaudevelopshisdeepfriendshipwithEmersonhere,whichprovestoinfluenceThoreau’sliterarywritingtoalargeextent．TheyallcontributetotheformationofThoreau’sviewofnature.Thoreau’slovefornaturecanbetracedbacktohischildhoodinConcord.Thoreauisapassionateoutdoorsmanfromchildhood.AsLeonBazalgettedescribes:

“AllConcordisspreadoutonhislaplikeagreatbookfullofpicturesandsongs.”Asaboy,Thoreauwalkedonthesunnymeadows,swamintheclearriversandponds,pickedhuckleberriesinthehillsandfields,andplayedgamesinthequietwoods.Allthesegavehimasenseofprofoundpleasureinnaturewithwhichhecouldneverkeepaway.Astimepassedby,hewasfamiliarwitheverysightinConcord.Emersoncomments:

“Hechosewiselynodoubtforhimselftobethebachelorofthoughtandnature.Hiseyeswereopentobeauty,andhisearstomusic.Hefoundthesenotinrareconditions,butwhereverhewent.”Asaresult,“Hekneweverytrackinthesnoworonthegroundandwhatcreaturehadtakenhispathbeforehim.”Justashesawthedayasallepitomeoftheyear,hesawConcordanepitomeoftheworld.BycenteringhiseyesonConcord,Thoreaugraspedthebeautyofwholenature.Moreover,thisexperiencepreparedforhislaterscientificnaturalobservation.

Tosomeextent，ConcordisconcernedwitheveryimportantaspectofThoreau’slifeandworks．Helivedthere,workedthereandasEmersonsaidinThoreau:

“Thoreaudedicatedhisgeniuswithsuchentirelovetothefields，hills，andwatersofhisnativetown,thathemadeitknownandinterestingtoanreadingAmericans,andtopeopleoverthesea.”

B.TheinfluenceofWalden

1.Farfromthecity

Inthelonghistoryofhumanbeings’development,theyalwaystriedtobreakawayfromtheconstraintofnature.ThisgraduallycametobetrueafterthefirstIndustrialRevolution.Manynewscientificinventions,suchasthesteam-poweredengines,steam-ship,railroad,andtelegraphy,weredeveloped.Thesewerethemoststrikingandrevolutionaryinventionsinthemid-19thcentury.ItisobviousthatThoreaufearedthatscienceandtechnologywouldgraduallybecomeaweaponforpeopletoexploitnatureandamonsterofinwardintrusionanddestructiontohumanlife.

Intheeyesofmostpeople,natureonlyhadeconomicvalueandrecreationalvalue.Obviously,theywereinconflictwithnature,whichwasregardedasaninanimateobjectwithoutanyemotion.Theyonlythoughtofhowtheycouldexploitnatureandmakeitservetheirpurposes.Theforestthusbecametherawmaterialformeetingpeople’sdemandsforfood,clothingandshelter.Thoreaubelievedthatforthosewhoonlysoughttooccupyallthenaturalresourceshadbeendehumanizedandcouldnotenjoytherealscentofnature.

AtWaldenThoreaucanbeclosetothenature,consideraboutthenaturewithoutdisturbingofthecity.Helikesthewayoflife.Moreimportanthedidn’twanttheprosperouscitytodestroyhisbeautifulnatureinhisheat.

2.Lifeinthewoods

Inautumn,Thoreaucultivatesbeans,observesWaldenPond.Inwinter,theWaldenPondfreeze,lotsofanimalsaccompanieswithhim.As spring’scoming,theWalden andotherpondsmelt.EverythinginnatureisawakeandrebornincludingThoreau.He livesaloneinthewoods,heiscloseto natureandmakeshimselfasapartofnature.He livesalone,butsometimeshealso talkswithhisvisitorswhoarehonest,sincere,thinkableandlovingtheirlife.Inthewoods lifeisquite.When he livesinthewoods,hecanlistentoanimals’soundssuchasbird’ssinging,owl’shooting,cockerel’scrowingetc.He liveswithanimalsfriendly.Healsodescribesthe WaldenPond.Thewater,blueandgreen,clearandpure,freezesinwinterandmeltsinspring.

BylivingatWalden,Thoreauholdsclosecommunionwithnature,andexperienceshissimplelifeinnature.Meanwhile,hecultivateshislifelonginterest:

saunteringinnature,studyingandwritingaboutit.Thuswecan