Thoreau's Influence On Modern American Life

Have you ever thought of just removing yourself from the pressures, stresses and difficulties life throws at us every day? Imagine a complete disassociation from the things you see and use the most your electronics, your house and most importantly your family. This kind of lifestyle sounds like it is difficult due to the large amount of information and comfort being taken out of your life. In our society, we are connected, and in some cases addicted, to the many luxuries that we have that keep us in contact with the rest of society. Furthermore, when considering all these factors the life that most of us have today would be difficult for a modern American to live the way Thoreau did in his time due to the greater connection between a modern

American and society.
In the society we live in today, communication has changed significantly compared to Thoreau’s time. Today’s American society is in constant communication with one another in any second of any day most of this occurring with electric devices such as cell phones, laptops, and computers. If any person wanted to disconnect from society these necessities would have to be given up to complete a true withdrawal from society. The damages from losing these vital devices could be catastrophic for the individual who would choose to give it up. These devices could also be described as essential for human life. However, in Walden Thoreau says “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts”(Thoreau 382). As Thoreau said he decided to leave the essentials of life behind and as we have come to know the electronics that we have today have become an indispensable part of our regular lives.
When considering the age in which Thoreau lived in, it must be said that in the 19th century a normal view of luxury would differ immensely from our view today.

When Thoreau departed for his believed to be two week sabbatical from society he lived in a log cabin in the woods where he hoped to find freedom. Thoreau was first unimpressed by his new dwelling in the woods until he found relaxation in the upcoming spring season and as he said in Walden “One attraction in coming to the woods to live was that I should have leisure and opportunity so see the spring come in. The ice in the pond at length begins to be honey-combed, and I can set my heel in it as I walk” (Thoreau 385). What Thoreau looked at for comfort in his time, would today be taken granted for today as the comings and goings of the seasons would mean little to nothing for modern people. It is very difficult to believe that modern humans would find any kind of luxury by simply going to a log cabin and living there. As La Ferle said in his excerpt “It occurred to me that things were vastly different for Thoreau. The comforts of life in the 1840’s were not exactly cushy by today’s standards”(La Ferle 389). La Ferle’s quote is significant because it draws another difference between the comfortable lifestyle Thoreau would have lived in and what kind of comfortable lifestyle we live in today. The glamour of going to the woods to find peace and relaxation has diminished a lot since Thoreau’s age and due to this a modern human, who probably has been pampered in their lives by the electronics provided by society, wouldn’t be able to be at peace in a secluded place like the woods without one of their cherished electronic

devices.
Their could also be an opposing argument that as long as humans live on this planet the ability to live simply will always be present. These people will say that any human in any situation can remove themselves from society and still live a normal life. The people who make these arguments have failed to consider the rapid change that the human race has gone through over the course of the past half-century. However, Thoreau considered this in Walden when he said “Things do not change; we change” (Thoreau). In this quote Thoreau explains how as the World remains the same the people in it will not and the things he look at as being luxurious may not be the same for future generations. This counter-argument would be considered to be weak because of the reliance that people have on things given to them from society such as electronics would make a removal from civilization almost near impossible.
To conclude, what Thoreau did in his time when he detached himself from society was amazing in his time and would be unfeasible in our current world. The electronics and comforts that society has given to humans would make any sort of removal from humanity a very difficult challenge to do.