Edgar Allan Poe and Henry David Thoreau were two very different authors‚ one was a mastermind of Gothic literature‚ while the other was a transcendentalist. One can understand Poe’s knack for stories like The Fall of the House of Usher because of his unprivileged childhood. His father deserted his family‚ and his mother died while Poe was very young (Wiggins 288). He also lived through constant poverty and suffered from depression‚ his only refuge being his wife‚ Virginia‚ who died when she was
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Rhetorical Analysis-“Reading” in Walden Walden is a personal essay of Henry David Thoreau‚ as he goes into wood and writes his personal experiences by immersing himself in nature. By detaching himself from the society‚ Thoreau tried to gain a more objective understanding of society through personal introspection. His thoughts of understanding society or finding the “truth” are discussed on the third chapter “Reading.” This chapter constitutes a description of what Thoreau has gained from reading
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Hester Prynne and Henry David Thoreau: Rebels in Society Hester Prynne is an anarchic force that destabilizes the status quo‚ allowing change to occur. She is a strong character‚ a rebel ostracized from society. The isolation she lives in brings her sorrow‚ yet grants her freedom of thought. Hester rejects the imprisoning commands of an accusatory society and has the will to fight against their influence over her nature. Henry David Thoreau also rebelled against the established orders of
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1 Maddie Middlebrooks EN 209-016 November 6‚ 2013 Word Count 1278 To Think for Yourself Henry David Thoreau ’s‚ Walden‚ is a novel focused completely around the idea of self-reliance. In the novel‚ Thoreau goes even more in depth into this idea‚ focusing a passage on the specific idea of experiencing your life solely for yourself‚ not through the ideas or beliefs of anyone else. He states‚ "No way of thinking or doing‚ however ancient‚ can be trusted without proof"(1616). He fully believes
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"He keeps casting conformity behind him". Henry David Thoreau was never one to conform to society’s norms. It is very apparent that this entire play’s main idea is nonconformity. That is the way Thoreau lived his life. Many transcendentalists speak of what they wish to live their life as‚ however‚ it was Thoreau who went further than just discussing Transcendentalism; he put it into practice when he refused to pay the poll tax that supported the war efforts. He lived in the way he viewed as correct
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In Walden‚ Thoreau uses techniques to convey thoughtful reflection and unwavering confidence towards his actions and convictions. By contemplating his past ventures and personal beliefs‚ he urges the reader to take specific paths in life with a strong and forceful credibility. Thoreau’s use of syntax expresses his philosophical yet audacious approach towards his quest to live simply and without superfluous needs. The semicolons and commas in the first sentence of paragraph four string together his
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Henry David Thoreau asks‚ in his essay‚ “Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them‚ or shall we endeavor to amend them and obey them until we have succeeded‚ or shall we transgress them at once?” (184) The answer will depend on which side of the law or the laws you are on‚ minority or majority. When the laws are made by the majority the laws can’t all be just‚ expect for the majority that wanted it. Should the wise minority be able to disobey laws that were created by the majority? Obeying
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Biography of Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was a man of many talents who worked hard to shape his ability and his life‚ seeing
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completely different lives. You see everything differently because in a sense you’re in a new life. While Thoreau was in isolation at walden pond he made many assertions. One of those was‚ “I had several more lives to live and could not spare anymore time for that one”. Meaning that everyone lives one life‚ but in that lifetime they live many different lives. As did Thoreau coming to walden for isolation‚ and then leaving are all new segments of his life as he explains in the conclusion in his text
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Comparing Henry David Thoreau and Herman Melville’s Writings Henry David Thoreau and Herman Melville focused their writings on how man was affected by nature. They translated their philosophies though both the portrayal of their protagonist and their own self exploration. In Moby Dick‚ Melville writes about Ahab’s physical and metaphysical struggle over the great white whale‚ Moby Dick‚ symbolic of man’s struggle against the overwhelming forces of nature. Ahab’s quest is reported and experienced
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