Finding Meaning In Henry David Thoreau's Walden

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau wrote the novel Walden. While this book was not overwhelmingly popular while Thoreau was alive, Walden has since gained much popularity and praise. A section of this book describes Thoreau’s will to live “deliberately,” living life to the fullest.

If asked to live “deliberately,” I would take this as a wake-up call that would probably come from my mother. After disappointing her she would sigh, and tell me to live more “deliberately” while shaking her head at my wrong decision. In this action, she would mean that I am in need of changing some aspect of my life whether it be my priorities or my actions.

However, if this encouragement to live “deliberately” had come from a more positive situation, perhaps the Thoreau quote itself, I would accept the challenge. In the modern world, it is increasingly easy to become set in a dull routine. While living deliberately, I would try to exceed my accomplishments and perform something personally fulfilling everyday. This mentality of sucking “out the marrow of life” is another idea discussed in Walden.

In my English class last year, I read Thoreau’s Walden along with Civil Disobedience. As these readings were merely an assignment, at first, I did not take them to heart. Nevertheless, by the time I had finished these

While some turn towards religion for this fulfillment, Thoreau was drawn to nature as a true Transcendentalist would. As for myself, I would find fulfillment in leading a fulfilling life. I am not going to change the world, but I can change my world by utilizing everyday. Through not squandering an entire day on something meaningless but finding profound improvements to make daily. To achieve this, I would not go live in a 10 by 15 foot cabin in Massachusetts, but live a normal life. However, living deliberately would require more conscious thought and work than flowing through the mundane of