Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Henry David Thoreau Essay Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862) was an American writer and philosopher famous for his naturalistic and anarchical ideas as well as his adherence to the movement of transcendentalism. Thoreau was a vegetarian, actively stood against slavery and war, and was one of the first who supported Darwin’s theory of evolution. Among his many works, the best known are his essay, Civil Disobedience, a proclamation against injustice and an urge for individual opposition to civil government, and the book ‘Walden’, where Thoreau’s reflects his personal experience of living simple life in natural environment. Although these works, like many others of Thoreau, are considered ‘transcendental’ and had been published ages ago, the ideas and concepts they contain may still at some point be related to the issues we may face while living in the 21st century. In general, the core of transcendental beliefs is a faith into a perfect spiritual state of mind that transcends both empirical and physical. It can only be realized through the person’s intuition, not through the doctrines of any existing religions. Therefore, it is rather a philosophy then a religion. The transcendentalism was grounded on principles that are ‘transcendental’, i. e.  based not upon sensual experiences but upon inner feelings and empirical, spiritual essence of a human. (En. wikipedia. org) American transcendentalism was mainly dominating in the first half of the 19th century, encouraging to abandon our mundane world, establish close relationship between human and nature, and to concentrate on ideal existence through spiritual abundance and self-reliance. Henry David Thoreau was admitted as a co-founder of this movement not only for his great thoughts on transcendentalism, but also for his empirical ideas and personal practice of his beliefs, which was greatly illustrated in his most famous book, ‘Walden’. The book firstly released as ‘Walden, or Life in the Woods’ (1854) was later widely recognized as one of the best non-fictional works of American authors. Living amidst woodland that belonged to R. W. Emerson, his friend and another founder of transcendentalism, near Concord, Massachusetts, in the small unpretentious self-built cabin, Thoreau mainly aimed to isolation from society for its better, more objective understanding. He stayed there alone for almost two years but kept receiving and returning visits. For example, he often went to Emerson’s hÐ ¾use for meÐ °l and conversÐ °tion. Moreover, as he indicates in the book, the cabin was located ‘at the edge of town’, not in the wilderness, even not far away from his family home. Therefore, he focuses reader’s attention on the importance of human’s closeness to the nature, self-reliance and meditation. The book combines Thoreau’s autobiography with a criticism of society, namely American consumerism, materialism, and nature destruction, the issues still common in our century as well. Such experiment of cut-off living was made by Thoreau for special purposes. First, he tried to escape the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution through keeping agrarian lifestyle. Interesting fact, the experiment was of a temporary character, and in the book Thoreau strongly advises his readers to avoid repeating it. Thus, anyone who studies Thoreau’s works has to keep in mind that at some degree they should be approached philosophically rather than understood literally. Second, the writer wanted to practically experience the main transcendental belief that every individual can transcend from normal to divine by means of nature itself. Like other members of the movement, in the ‘Walden’ Thoreau, for example, speaks about Vedic concepts to illustrate his vision of the nature. â€Å"I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo! There I meet the servant of Brahmin, priest of Brahma, and Vishnu, and Indra, who still sits in his temple of the Ganges reading the Vedas, or dwells at the root of a tree with his crust and water-jug. I meet his servant come to draw water for his master, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges. (Thoreau 221) At some point, Thoreau’s attempts to promote the ideals of transcendentalism may seem to be impractical and rather inapplicable. In fact, after an in-depth analysis, Thoreau’s ideals may even look infeasible, namely his appeals to ascetic way of living and refusal of common human needs. In the scope of critical thinking, impossibility to follow the idea of living without any blessings of civilization is rather obvious. The average American who lives in the 21st century can hardly imagine him- or herself without Internet connection, using cell-phones, driving cars, or going to supermarkets. Nevertheless, it is possible at certain degree. Moreover, due to global ecology problems, it even may become necessary for each of us to refuse some advantages of our daily welfare for the great purpose of saving the world from environmental catastrophe. For this reason ‘Walden’, as well as many other Thoreau’s works, is frequently quoted by specialists who work in various fields and are concerned with the environmental problems of the Earth in general and in the USA in particular. While the whole issue of bad ecology becomes more and more crucial, Thoreau’s idea of simple life in the forest turns out to be not as unsuitable as it seemed at first glance. It is important to mention that Thoreau’s works on natural history is a great anticipation of findings and methods in the fields of ecology and the history of environment, which later became main sources of nowadays movement of environmentalism. In the book ‘Earth Rising: American Environmentalism in the 21st Century’ we read that â€Å"some 150 years ago, transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, sitting in his tiny cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, was already mourning the loss of the wilderness and the debilitating effect of industrialism on the human spirit†. (Shabecoff 16) Thoreau significant influence onto the entire concept of nature preservation and conservation is unquestionable. â€Å"In the United States†¦ the movement expanded in the 1800s, out of concerns for protecting the natural resources of the West, with individuals such as John Muir and Henry David Thoreau making key philosophical contributions. Thoreau was interested in people’s relationship with nature and studied this by living close to nature in a simple life. He published his experiences in the book ‘Walden’, which argues that people should become intimately close with nature. The conservationist principles as well as the belief in an inherent right of nature were to become the bedrock of modern environmentalism†. The conservation movement is a political, social and scientific movement that aims to protect natural resources, including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. Chiefly in the United States, conservation is seen as differing from environmentalism in that it seeks to preserve natural resources expressly for their continued sustainable use by humans. In other parts of the world conservation is used more broadly to include the setting aside of natural areas and the active protection of wildlife for their inherent value. (En. wikipedia. org) Because of Thoreau and his associates humanity became truly concerned about the nature, the world we live in. He can definitely be called a pioneer ecologist. Numerous contemporary movements and organizations prove the actuality of environment problem and therefore significance of all Thoreau’s works related to nature preservation. For example, his vision of the environmental issues in the 19th century became a ground for the book ‘From Walden to Wall Street: Frontiers of Conservation Finance’ written in the current times. â€Å"Why do we invest in conservation? Why do human beings invest their time, energy and financial resources in protection of land, plants, and animals? We invest in conservation because it is an expression of our faith in the future. Conservation investment is an expression of our faith in the future of natural systems that are essential to life on Earth. It is an expression of our faith in the future of deeply loved natural wonders. And it is an expression of faith in the future of our families and communities whose lives will be immeasurably enriched by the living world that we are striving to sustain†. (Levitt 3) Here is one more evidence on how outstanding were the Thoreau’s works and what a great impact they made and still do. In ‘Walden’ he included a famous aphorism that â€Å"in wilderness is the preservation of the world†. Thoreau kindled the Wilderness Religion that found fertile ground in America and provided a spiritual basis for conservation. In ‘The Main Woods’ (1864) Thoreau called for the establishment of national forest preserves, helping to set the stage for the National Park movement. (Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature 6) Despite of the fact that Walden is considered by some critics a failed experiment, the issues raised in the book are still of current importance. As 21st-century people, for instance, we suffer of consumerism and globalization, with their negative ethical aspects. Thoreau’s prophetic awareness of them is amazing, they are as relevant now, as they used to be in his century. He rejects consumerism, its adverse effect on society with its status stratification, and still teaches us lessons vital for our survival and progress. Another kind of ideas Thoreau often promoted in his works are related to anarchism and civil disobedience. Thus, let us shift our attention to this theme of Thoreau’s writings and discuss how those fit in the American viewpoint of the 21st century. In his disobedience to the American low of his times he was as prominent as in his attempts to bring humanity closer to the nature. He certainly was a key figure in the American radicalism. Disobedience was the main point in his endeavors to justifÃ'Æ' morÐ °l anÐ °rchism and to encourage each individual to act on the basis of their personal judgments, their personal opinion about the very justice rather than civil regulations. Unfortunately, Thoreau offers nothing instead and relies of his personal sÐ µnse of justice, which is univÐ µrsal. Here is the historical background of the essay. â€Å"’Civil Disobedience’ is an analysis of the individual’s relationship to the state that focuses on why men obey governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust. But ‘Civil Disobedience’ is not an essay of abstract theory. It is Thoreau’s extremely personal response to being imprisoned for breaking the law. † Because he opposed slavery and because tax revenues contributed to the support of it, Thoreau decided to become a tax rebel. He was arrested and imprisoned. It was short as a one night but has had enduring effect through the writing of ‘Civil Disobedience’ which has exerted its powerful force over time. (McElroy 2) In accordance with Thoreau’s ideals, the government of his days was far from perfection due to Mexican-American war and slavery expanded in the US. Therefore, the essay was written as anti-slavery and anti-war protest soon after the war’s beginning. Thoreau later wrote about governmental justice. â€Å"If it is of such a nature that requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop he machine†¦ Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also prison†. (Thoreau 259) In the essay the author urges American citizens to show their disagreement to government by passive disobedience without acts of violence. Such form of protest was later used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King who initiated movements for social changes. Thoreau was emphasizing the importance of acting upon the person’s ethical and moral beliefs. According to Thoreau, â€Å"unjust law exists: 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? † This urge to disobedience is in tune with the message of ‘Walden’. Those who are not satisfied with the society should not obey its norms, and neither wait until the norms are changed, nor until the majority joins them, but live according to their own believes. Personal values should be compared to the ones of the contemporary society, and unless they comply, stick the voice of conscience. Thoreau also said that â€Å"it costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the state, than it would to obey. I should feel as if I were worth less in that case. † (Thoreau 258) In fact, many of the issues pinpointed by Thoreau 150 years ago have not yet been overcome by the American society, and that strikes the most. He hated its slavish materialism as well as commercialism and believed that â€Å"the state should never rank above the individual conscience or the business of living. But if the state demands a person’s first allegiance by asking him to violate his conscience and participate in an injustice, the person should disobey – not through violence but by removing his cooperation. † (McElroy 3) Thoreau foresaw many issues typical to the modern American society. Over 150 years ago he predicted the crisis, spiritual and moral, that now corrodes it. The writer still begs us to slow down our hectic lives, to review our values, and to live in harmony with our consciences. He repeatedly talks about the possibility to establish a society where the justice is appreciated and the beauty of the nature is preserved.

You are My Life :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Julie, It's fair to say that the past couple of weeks have been somber and gloomy for me. I have been living in the dark, as though a big black cloud has engulfed me. I have felt like there has been something missing from my heart, and although I wasn't sure what it was, I now realize it was the part I gave to you. Julie, you have been the missing part of my heart! Now, slowly, it's as though that piece is being put back into place and I'm starting to see a glimmer of light, just as though someone, somewhere has turned on a light and it's starting to flicker alive. It's hard for me to explain what this feeling is, all I can say is that when I've been with you lately, the movie I'm watching seems better, the music I'm listening to sounds more alive, even things like doing the dishes is more fun when you're with me. Everything I've ever done in my life has been better, brighter, and more exciting when I've been able to share it with you. I want you to know that the most important thing in my life is you. Nothing compares to holding you in my arms. I would never want you to not know the way I feel about you. I love you and I'm sure you must realize that, but for me, that is no longer enough now. I want you to really know how much I love you. I so dearly need the comfort and the security of knowing that whenever I say, I love you, you're going to say the same words. I wish that sometimes you would say them before I do and make me believe you mean them so much. I've feel so lucky that you've decided to share your life with me, and there's nothing, I wouldn't do to make you happy. I want you to want me. Just like I want you. There's no price you can put on love. I know you can't make love come back to the way it was: I know it'll come back, if, and when it's ready. I just want you to know that for every ounce of love you give to me, I will give it back to you a thousand times more. I worship and adore you and no one could ever compete with the beauty I see when you stand before me.

World War Two and the B-24 Bomber

Several aircraft from the World War Two era have achieved iconic status. The F4U Corsair, TBM Avenger and the B-17 and B-29 Super fortresses are all legendary in their service for the Allied cause. There is another such aircraft that never achieved the fame of those mentioned but was critical to the Allies war effort none the less. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was the work horse of the Allied fleet. Its entrance into the war came at a critical and vulnerable time for Allied survival in Europe. After proving its effectiveness in early missions the B-24 would go on to be used in all theatres of the conflict.It was the most numerous, most versatile and possibly the most effective Allied plane of World War Two. The Design Stage The B-24 bomber was designed as part of the strategic bombing plans drawn up by the Allies in the 1930s. Built by Consolidated Aircraft of Ypsilanti, Michigan, the bomber took its first flight in late December of 1939. Consolidated was a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company, an icon of American business. The Ford factory was able to produce more than four hundred B-24s per month. By 1941 the plane would enter wartime service. High demand in 1942-43 prompted Consolidated to expand its production facilities.The San Diego plant was increased to three times its original size. A new plant was built in Fort Worth, Texas. The flagship plant was built in Willow Run, Michigan in 1942. At the time this plant was the largest industrial plant of any kind in the United States. In the process thousands of Americans were put to work. The vastness of the Willow Run Plant made for some interesting accommodations. At a certain point in the assembly line the planes would be mechanically turned at a right angle. The purpose was to avoid having the planes crossing into a neighboring county where taxes were higher.Consolidated had received the contract to produce the B-17 bomber only one year earlier in 1938. After examining the capabilities of the B-17, the A rmy requested a faster and higher flying plane. The updated plans would result in the building of the B-24 Liberator. Designed as a strategic heavy bomber the airplane was affectionately referred to as the â€Å"Lumbering Lib† by the RAF pilots who used it to patrol the Atlantic. 2 â€Å"Liberator† would then be incorporated officially as part of the aircraft’s name. The plane almost immediately went into heavy production. A mainstay of the Army andNavy air forces, it was also used by the RAF (Royal Air Force) and the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force). The plane cost about $300,000 to build. By wars end over 19,000 B-24s had been built 3. This exceeds the total of any other Allied aircraft. 1. Philip Makanna. 1995. Ghosts in the Skies: Aviation of the Second World War. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books), p. 156. 2. Philip Makanna. 1995. Ghosts in the Skies: Aviation of the Second World War. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books), p. 157. 3. Bill Gunston. 2000. History of Military Aviation. (London: Hamlyn Pub. ), p. 93.Bomber design was still in its infancy and the B-24 did have some problems. It was prone to fire due to the placement of its fuel tanks. The only way to enter or exit the plane was through the bomb bay, a difficult proposition in a crisis situation. It was also somewhat cumbersome to fly. The plane’s designers had to make these tradeoffs in order to maximize the performance and the long range capability of the aircraft. The plane was also somewhat vulnerable to enemy fire, given its relatively lightweight construction. The high altitude capability of the plane helped minimize this threat.There were a substantial number of orders for the plane even while it was still only a prototype. In addition to the three dozen ordered by the Army, the French and British had each ordered more than three times that number. The French order was cut short by the German invasion in 1940. The British received their order and immediately put the p lanes to use on critical missions. Introduction to the War Ultimately, the B-24 would serve a wide ranging role in all corners of the conflict. It would be used to â€Å"equip 45 groups all over the world† 4. The initial role for the B-24 was to conduct deep ocean patrols.The British were in dire need of a long range patrol aircraft, Prior to the arrival of B-24s in the Atlantic, German U-boats were wreaking havoc on Allied shipping. British reconnaissance activities had a limited range. The arrival of the B-24 allowed the Royal Air Force to patrol much farther out into the ocean. As a result the U-boats were driven back into areas where they could be more easily targeted. The ultimate result was impressive – â€Å"The arrival of radar-equipped RAF B-24s in _____________________________________________________________________ 4. Bill Gunston. 2000. History of Military Aviation.(London: Hamlyn Pub. ), p. 93. Ireland†¦temporarily ended sinkings in the mid-Atlanticà ¢â‚¬  5. In 1942 the British began to use the B-24 in long-range bombing missions in the Middle East. Up to this time the plane had primarily served in recon and transport functions. American entry in to the war also led to a buildup of forces in England. Had the RAF Atlantic patrols not been effective; it is likely that the buildup would have taken much longer and Britain may have been lost. â€Å"The Mighty Eighth† was among the early American air groups transferred to Britain 6. The eighth brought with them numerous B-17s and B-24s.As the British and American forces continued to gain their footing, their mission would gradually evolve from the Atlantic patrols to the long range bombing missions over Germany. In the early years of the war radar equipped B-24s proved more than a match for the German U-boat menace. The RAF was able to drive the U-boats out of the middle Atlantic, at least for a while. The Germans would make modifications to U-boat strategy to counter the eff ects of the B-24s, but safe passage for shipping at this vital stage would play an important role in stemming the German tide.The British were able to gain their footing and the Americans were able to get a foothold in Europe. By defeating u-boats, the allies established control of the Atlantic, Saved Britain and made possible the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. 7 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Charles Gross. 2002. American Military Aviation: The Indispensable Arm. (College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press), p. 106. 6. Bill Gunston. 2000. History of Military Aviation. (London: Hamlyn Pub. ), p. 93. 7. Charles Gross. 2002.American Military Aviation: The Indispensable Arm. (College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press), p. 207. The plane would also become a key asset in the Pacific theater. With the B-29 still in development, U. S. forces needed a long-range bomber to cover the vast distances of th e Pacific Ocean. As additional bombers came on-line, the B-24 proved especially amenable to modification for different purposes. In that sense â€Å"It was altogether more versatile† than the B-17 and B-29 8. In the Pacific, the B-24 was considered the â€Å"standard† heavy bomber. Range was a primary asset of the B-24.Its ability to complete 2,000 mile missions without refueling made it possible to conduct missions far out at sea or over hostile territory. The plane could carry over 8,000 pounds of bombs. For defensive purposes, it was armed with ten . 50 caliber machine guns. The B-24 had been among the early generation of long-range bombers developed in between World Wars one and two. Even so, the aircraft boasted many new innovations and capabilities. Its design also allowed for great flexibility of use. Some B-24s were modified for use in reconnaissance missions. Their high altitude capabilities added to their effectiveness in this role.The B-24s engines also had the power for the plane to be used in transport of materials and personnel. A few were used as fuel tankers. The B-24 was even used as a VIP transport plane. The Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, used one as his personal transport plane. Turbo supercharged engines were first added to the XB-24B model along with body armor and self sealing tanks. Power driven turrets and additional nose guns were added to the 24C. The development of the Norden bombsight enabled the B-24 to drop its bombs accurately from a vertical distance of up to five miles.All in all the B-24 8. Christopher Chant. 1992. The Military History of the United States (Vol. 9). (New York: Marshall Cavendish), p. 91. Liberator was a fearsome weapon of war. The Liberator: †¦had the defensive firepower and high altitude performance to fight their way through screens of Axis fighters and then deliver their bombs with pinpoint accuracy. 9 The B-24H produced in 1943 was an even more formidable weapon. This ver sion had a power-operated gun turret in the nose of the aircraft. It also had an auto pilot system and a refueling system.An improved version of the Norden bombsight provided even better bomb accuracy. Analysis and Conclusion The B-24 Liberator filled a critical gap in the offensive and defensive capabilities of the Allied air forces. It was heavily relied upon throughout the war. In the early part of the war it provided a vital strike capability against the German U-boats in the Atlantic. The B-24 also proved itself in peace time. It was used well into the 1950s by the Coast Guard for rescue and weather recon missions. Near the end of the war and half a world away a B-24 launched the first radar guided air to ground missile in 1945.At the beginning of the war long-range bombing formation tactics were still in their infancy. Losses for the B-17 and the B-24 were high. As the war continued, tactics improved and the B-24 in particular became more effective. The B-24 was flexible enoug h to be used in all theaters of the war. Not only was it a constant presence in Europe and the Pacific; it also performed well in Africa, India and the Middle East. The Liberator ultimately made its name in the Battle of the Atlantic. The â€Å"Atlantic ________________________________________________________________________ 9. Christopher Chant. 1992.The Military History of the United States (Vol. 9). (New York: Marshall Cavendish), p. 126. Gap† was an area of the ocean where German submarines had previously operated with impunity. This threatened to cut of England from critical military and humanitarian supplies. The B-24 was the first aircraft with the range to effectively patrol the gap. For this reason it has been credited by some with saving Britain. It is possible that without them, attrition could have weakened Britain to the point where they were vulnerable to invasion. The redesigns of the B-24 were both effective and creative.Many of the ideas for these modificatio ns came from soldiers in the field. In one example, soldiers used a damaged B-24 to design a transport plane. Back in the United States, Consolidated put their ideas into mass production. The B-24 was rugged, innovative and flexible. It might be argued that its greatest effect on the war came from the sheer number of planes produced. More B-24s flew in the war than any other plane. The Ford Motor company was the unquestioned master of mass production. It had an unrivaled ability to produce huge numbers of machines very quickly.It is this type of industrial might that eventually overwhelmed the Axis powers. The B-24 Liberator was symbolic of that power. Notes 1. Philip Makanna. 1995. Ghosts in the Skies: Aviation of the Second World War. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books), p. 156. 2. Philip Makanna. 1995. Ghosts in the Skies: Aviation of the Second World War. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books), p. 157. 3. Bill Gunston. 2000. History of Military Aviation. (London: Hamlyn Pub. ), p. 93. 4. Bill Gunston. 2000. History of Military Aviation. (London: Hamlyn Pub. ), p. 93. 5. Charles Gross. 2002.American Military Aviation: The Indispensable Arm. (College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press), p. 106. 6. Bill Gunston. 2000. History of Military Aviation. (London: Hamlyn Pub. ), p. 93. 7. Charles Gross. 2002. American Military Aviation: The Indispensable Arm. (College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press), p. 207. 8. Christopher Chant. 1992. The Military History of the United States (Vol. 9). (New York: Marshall Cavendish), p. 91. 9. Christopher Chant. 1992. The Military History of the United States (Vol. 9). (New York: Marshall Cavendish), p. 126.

The Narrative Of The Closet By Nina Revoyr - 1845 Words

In her novel Southland, author Nina Revoyr creates narrative arcs for a multitude of characters that occur in multiple separate timelines. These arcs have recurring themes focused on race relations and sexuality as major civilian protests and campaigns for human rights unfold in the greater Los Angeles area. Revoyr explores Los Angeles’s residentially segregated neighborhoods throughout different time periods and examines interracial alliances and more personal interracial relationships. Jackie, the primary character of the novel, is a Japanese American, semi-closeted lesbian. Her narrative emphasizes acceptance of personal identity and family history, as she discovers more about her recently-deceased grandfather, whose perspective also†¦show more content†¦Sharp that established that anti-miscegenation laws were â€Å"unconstitutional† and that â€Å"marriage is thus something more than a civil contract subject to regulation by the state; it is a fundamental right of free men† (Perez v. Sharp 2). These court rulings were utilized as precedents by judges in Obergefell v. Hodges, that determined that state laws against same-sex marriage were unconstitutional (Obergefell v. Hodges 2). Therefore, there is documentation that establishes a precedent that interracial and same-sex relationships have experienced similar taboos and changes in status, and can be used as a background for understanding the parallels between Jackie and Frank’s romantic relationships. Revoyr expresses the similarly closeted nature of Jackie and Frank’s relationships in the physical and social spaces in which they exist. At the beginning of the novel, Jackie is in a committed relationship with her white girlfriend of three years, Laura. Initially in their relationship, Laura and Jackie actively hide their sexualities and their relationship from colleagues and Jackie’s family. However, they come out to select people: â€Å"Laura had told her peers about Jackie (but not her boss), after she’d started taking Jackie to parties and barbecues (but not official functions)† (Revoyr 42). Laura and Jackie’s relationship exists in limited social spheres and restricted