Walden Pond: A Literary Analysis

The sense of ownership is the basic creation of modern civilization. Without the desire of possessions, the world would not need a government or ruling of any kind. Ownership is not just the tangible and valued items in our pockets, homes, and bank accounts; it is the information we gain from books, and experiences, and the others around us. Although the possession of some objects and beliefs can have detrimental effects, they can also allow you to grow your character. The biggest example of the effects of possessions is shown by Henry David Thoreau’s experiences at Walden Pond. Thoreau goes to live in the woods by himself in order to live the most simplistic life without possessions. Only living on the necessities of food, shelter, and clothing, he realizes that his ideas and thoughts, which grow out of the soil of

The fundamentals behind growing as a human allow you to understand the true meaning of owning. As a child, we had a belief that the toys are parents bought for us were truly “ours”. Although as we age, we begin to realize the worth of money and how the things around us were not ours at all. The exhausting work it takes, the endless hours, the insignificant wage and it all leads to a squandered bank account. In the end, we realize how much the world revolves around currency. Through this idea of having the possession of money or of not, we finally grasp this cruel idea. In Plato’s ideology, some possessions can be detrimental to character, products can make a person greedy, but just like a person can crave money, people can also desire to do good with money. Rather than working for greed, people will work for others and volunteer their time. This is where Aristotle's theory of developing moral character shines through. Since these people already believe they have enough wealth, they will pass it on to those who do not ‒ the birth of supply side