Walden

Walden opens with Thoreau’s explanation of his two-year independent living project on Walden Pond, which spanned from 1845 to 1847. He illuminates his desire to live a solitary, simple life outside of civilization. Over the course of these two years, Thoreau describes his experiences including his immersion in nature, the process of growing his own food, and the pleasure he derives from contemplating the beauty of the woods. He also reflects on the most basic elements of human subsistence—food, shelter, clothing, and fuel—and takes inventory of the essentials one needs to survive. 

Thoreau worries that working men have surrendered their personal autonomy to the demands of a capitalist society. He explains that capitalism hypnotizes men into pursuing empty status symbols and fleeting pleasures that remove them from their most natural state. He believes that most men spend their lives in a state of “quiet desperation” (14), numbly toiling away just to pay for their food and homes. 

Thoreau resists this life by casting aside all unnecessary luxuries. Instead of renting, he builds his own home. Instead of purchasing food, he forages in the woods and grows beans and vegetables. Hoping to demonstrate that it is possible to live well with very little money, he provides a painstaking account of everything he spends.