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The Environmental View of Thoreau’s Walden: The Interpretation of the
Relationship between Human and Nature
Linlin Zhang 1, a
1 Jilin agriculture science and technology college, China
Keywords: Environmental Protection, Resource Protection, Walden, Thoreau
Abstract. Thoreau was an American famous writer, Walden was his masterpiece, recorded Thoreau’s
attitude towards nature, this paper analysis the background of Thoreau, and Walden, give guidance on
our environmental protection.
Introduction
Resources and environment is the basic elements for human surviving, reproduction and
development. The earth is the common home of humanity. Environmental pollution and ecological
degradation, resource scarcity has become a global concern to contemporary human beings. With the
rapid development of modern industrial production, taking some effective measures to control the
environmental pollution have become increasingly important and urgent. Protecting the surviving
environment and implementing the sustainable development strategy are two important themes in the
21st century. "Environment and Development" and "Peace and Development" are two major topics
we will discuss for a long time.
China is a developing country, after over two decades of reform and opening up, China’s
economy and overall national strength have grown substantially with an ever-expanding market.
Meanwhile we pursue the belief of "faster and better" development, the ecological environment has
been damaged severely. Western developed industrialized nation’s the fast development,
accompanied by the damage to the environment also appeared in our country. At present, our country
is in the new period of economic development , analyzing Thoreau’s environmental view can enhance
our idea of protecting our environment. Ecological environment is the hotbed of human survival and
development, is backing the source of human development and the survival of mankind in order to
maintain a sustained and stable development, there must be sustained, stable and sound ecological
environment do support. Thus to say, material resources and the environment for people, not just the
reserve, it is unshakable strong backing. Therefore, the ecological environment should also be forever
and perfect, not a long time consuming and exhausted, will eventually impede and restrict human
survival and development.
The background of Thoreau
Thoreau was born in 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, America, which is place where American
War of Independence uprising, he was proud of born here. Concord is one of the developed regions in
technology and culture in 19th century. The small country bred Emerson, Hawthorne, Alcott and
Thoreau four famous writers. Thoreau’s mother was a person who loves nature very much. She helped
Thoreau to observe the love for the simplicity of nature, went picnic outside, listened to all kinds of
sounds of nature. Concord is a scenic beautiful town, where there is a lake with mountains and a river,
a pleasant climate all year round. Thoreau's childhood was spent in such a carefree environment and
brother and sister grew up together. In 1822, under the leadership of the mother, Thoreau began his
first tour to Walden. In his letter to a friend, he passionately writes: "When my eyes in a very raw sigh
of Egyptian pottery spinning, I dream from summer to winter browse around, climbing on the
mountainside, but not nothing to me. like the face of the sky as blue-eyed grass, with such a simple
Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 675-677 (2014) pp 1048-1051 Submitted: 12.08.2014 Online available since 2014/Oct/08 at www.scientific.net Accepted: 16.08.2014 © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.675-677.1048
All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of TTP, www.ttp.net. (ID: 165.215.209.15, ProQuest-11/10/14,01:17:47)
consistency naturally to observe nature. " In 1933, 16-year-old Thoreau entered Harvard University to
study classical literature. His wide range of interests, well-read romantic literature and philosophy,
and even include Oriental classic English translation. In 1937, Thoreau graduation speech affected
"American Scholar", and Emerson and forged a lifelong friendship. Emerson propagandized
Transcendentalism, it really influenced Thoreau a lot.
The Introduction of Walden
Walden Pond is located about two miles south of Walden forest. From the geographical point of
view, Walden is located outside the town of Concord, Thoreau believed Walden landscape belongs to
the humble
One kind, though beautiful, but not grand. Rarely play the person, who live in it may not be what it
shore to attract. It is such a lake, he believes deserves prominent description. This is a bright and dark
green lake, half a mile long, about one mile and three quarters around an area of about sixty-one acres
and a half. Around the mountain from the water where they stand, from forty to eighty feet in height,
but in the southeast to one hundred feet high, while the east to one hundred and fifty feet high, and its
distance from the lakeshore, but the fourth mile and one-third miles. "
From Thoreau's description of view, Walden is indeed a humble small lake, but it is such a small
lake has become a Thoreau very important part of life. Concord began to accept European immigrants
in1635, at that time the forest coverage rate was 90%. Due to the strong development of agriculture
and animal husbandry, forests artificially reduced; till the early 18th century, the forest coverage rate
dropped to 70%. Marvellous outdoor hunting leading to more and more species scarce, even some
extinct. Later scale farming and animal husbandry further expansion, land, water and trees continued
to be eroded, coupled with the emergence of the sawmill, resulting in forest coverage plummeted to
25% in the late 18 th
century.
Thoreau was first boating on Walden Pond in 1820s, the pond was surrounded by full of thick and
tall pine and oak. till 1840s, the train moved into the area. Convenient rail links the city center and
west Concord City. Business combined with railways continue to extend outward, along with the
railway leading to Concord wider to the outside world. The process of industrialization exacerbated
the destructive felling of forests, in addition to Walden Forest and Brook Forest, the city actually only
10 percent forest cover in1850. Concord is no longer the idyllic leisure and cozy place. Since railway
invasion, most of Walden Lakeshore’s trees have been cut down. Thoreau more than once wrote in
"Walden", in the indictment train interference on Walden Lake Forest. He said: "This is diabolical
cavalry, that cracked the human ear eardrum broken voice has been heard the whole town, it has been
used to make dirty feet muddy water boiling springs, and is it, put it on the shores of Walden trees
swallowed; this Trojan horse, belly hide 1,000 people, all those who want to do business the Greeks
thinks out! Thoreau wrote with a tone of irony his dissatisfaction train destruction and pollution of
forests. In other words, Thoreau saw the industrial technology of natural reaction, independently
sounded the clarion call for environmental protection.
The environmental view of Walden
Simple life style Thoreau in "Walden" in order to voluntarily simple life experience for opening,
advocates a concept of ecological wisdom, practice self-reliance, thus villagers attacked his bad
habits, warning people not to desire too high, it should be simple to economic life, enough for the
degree, in order to reduce the request of limited natural resources. He spent two years and two months
Thoreau lived at Walden Pond next to where he working, writing, observing, listening, experiences
and dreams of integration, so that every moment of daily life has become artistic. Thoreau is living art
from the perspective of poetic life depth and practical sort of poetic realm of life carried out a
comprehensive the powerful interpretation.
Walden is the author's personal experience as a model to teach people how to live wisely, think
fresh , "Thoreau pursuit of life, you can use a few eye-catching characters : simple! Simplicity! Simple
Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 675-677 1049
to summarize," his life gave up almost all of the material pursuit, successfully achieved his life rather
than to make a living on the tired goal "in his diary, Thoreau present his simple explanation: in the
world, there are two forms of simple, one is almost a simple ignorance, and the other is wise simply
"wise men's lifestyle, is the external simplicity and rich connotation" savage lifestyle is simple both
inside and outside, "Thoreau believed that once people inherited the farm! room house , livestock and
farm implements, they become slaves of land, material life was tired all day. "
Thoreau came to the forest alone, own a house, do it yourself farming to feed themselves, the daily
pastime but farming, reading, addition is the observation of nature expressive face, appears to be in
the ordinary and boring boring life even the average person may not be able to insist on such a day
over a few days, but Thoreau lived for two years and two months, every day, a nice novel and
interesting exception.T horeau practiced with their own, and made arts into every aspect of life,
making walking, reading, crafts and ornamental naturally poetic, so that the original monotonous life
full of fun. Even sometimes a day doing nothing, wasted time, nothing memorable work is not
completed, he will feel happiness knows no boundaries. Because his heart is pure, is not eager for
superficial material enjoyment and lost ability to find beauty. He abandoned a vulgar material life,
pursuited of aestheticism lifestyle.
Harmony between human and nature It is in the reflection on the nature of society and the
people's way of life, and Thoreau realized rooted in the depths of the soul endless pursuit of getting
back to basics, to nature to seek the meaning of life, if the "non to us lose this after the world, we begin
to find ourselves, recognize our own situation. ". He thinks that if life were like him, people's moral
values will return, "I'm sure if I like the simple life takes all people, theft and robbery would not have
happened." Thoreau said: First of all, there is a necessity of life must be to save their own lives. "What
is a necessity, in my order of four, refers to all people use their energy to get close to the kind of
items." Among them, the "necessities of life can be divided into: things, housing, clothing and fuel;
Except these, we are not free to face the real problems of life, but can not prospect achievements," At
this point, we can see the reality Thoreau he understood that only humans get basic material supply to
sustain life, it may pursue higher ideals of life.
Second, "after he got those things necessary for life, you will not want to have a surplus of goods
and others things; That is from humble working holiday began, and now he would like to see life into
the dirt. to be suitable for seed, because the soil makes the radicle downward, then it can be full of
confidence to make long stems sprout up.
Whether diving birds, or owl, Thoreau had deep feeling of nature here seemed so distant object and
not pondering. Nature is difficult to study and understand the reason for this, is that nature has its
specific laws, there is a sense of wisdom seemed so insignificant. All human attempts to conquer the
natural move is futile, ridiculous. Because people can not go beyond nature. Only human beings with
their limited cognitive ability and wisdom to comprehend the gift of nature inspire the human spirit
and guidance, living a introspection and hard, noble life. In the face of nature, man is passive. Thoreau
advocated the "natural inaction" principle and China's Taoist same, the natural world adapt to changes
in the law, respect for all nature of life in nature, maintaining harmony of nature, against humanity
with technology elements made of industrial civilization, attempt to conquer nature as the welfare of
mankind, thought it was a desecration of nature, he would rather not be so convenient, "would rather
sit in an ox cart, free to come and go, do not want to take anything fancy tour buses go to heaven, all
the way to breathe the stale air. "So he'd rather pick blueberry farming for a living, do not go to the
store to buy bread; prefer to wear hand-made sweater farmers sent, do not buy a factory manufacturing
fancy fashion; rather own housing or live in brick caves, nor willing to settle civilized housing; rather
into the forest wilderness survival, and do not stay in the city to breathe the air after industrial
pollution.Thoreau believed that people should abandon the civilized world of hustle and bustle, this
piece of wilderness to live without industrial pollution farming life.
Advocating biodiversity In Thoreau's view, the whole of nature is alive, all living things have
claimed human moral emotions. When the wildlife around his hometown of Concord and both are just
1050 Environmental Technology and Resource Utilization II
being discovered, was shot to kill, Thoreau epiphany: "conscious and unconscious life is beautiful,
both the good are not mutually exclusive, because they come from the same origin. "
At the time of observation of nature, Thoreau had an artistic vision to look at the nature . In
"Walden", in Thoreau's perception, the nightingale's "Vespers song" singing was so "full of
musicality," owl "Serenade" also brings a "pleasant association" even the cows moo is soothing.
"Dusk, on the horizon, there are some cattle call incoming forest, very sweet, elegant melodies, at first
I thought it was some Trovatore voice, some nights I heard them singing serenade, they might passing
through the valley are adrift; but listen to them, I would gladly disappointed, a stretched, turned out to
be the voice of the cattle,we do not need to spend money on music, I said I listen to young people
singing approximation cattle call, I did not irony, I told them singing voice is very appreciated, these
two voices lastly, are the sounds of nature "in his eyes, and even annoying buzz of mosquitoes also
become the epic singing:." in the earliest dawn, I sat, doors and windows open, one can not imagine
not see mosquitoes flying in my room, it was faint chirping can touched me, as I heard preach
reputation metal horns like this is a requiem Homer, the air "Iliad" and "Odyssey", singing its anger
and wandering. "Whether nightingale crow, owl singing late, howling or mosquito tweet cattle, are
wonderful music Thoreau ears.
At Thoreau’s period , due to the economic development and material interests of the people are still
the main quest, together with anthropocentrism has been a popular social thought, Thoreau's point of
view can not yet be understood by most people. As the process of industrialization and growing
environmental movement and the rise of the modern environmental problems, Thoreau advocated
environmental and preservation of wilderness thought the idea was worth more and more people's
attention. It can deepen the relationship between nature and life understanding of this relationship is to
reveal the relationship between the survival of the human essence, rather than purely physical
relationship or understanding of the relationship. Humans in order to live, you need to eat and drink to
live through and some other things, which makes the survival of humanity is inseparable from
geology, water and other natural conditions, the relationship between man and nature is not subject
and object representation on the material relationship or understanding relationship, but the survival
of the relationship. Inseparable nature of human existence, development and solidarity natural human
behavior, interaction and influence each other. give us guidance on how to protect our environment
and live harmonious with the nature.
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by Jilin agriculture science and technology college Youth Fund,
Number: 2013103
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Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 675-677 1051
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