Walden Pond: A Literary Analysis

The sense of ownership is the basic creation of modern civilization. Without the desire of possessions, the world would not need a government or ruling of any kind. Ownership is not just the tangible and valued items in our pockets, homes, and bank accounts; it is the information we gain from books, and experiences, and the others around us. Although the possession of some objects and beliefs can have detrimental effects, they can also allow you to grow your character.
The biggest example of the effects of possessions is shown by Henry David Thoreau’s experiences at Walden Pond. Thoreau goes to live in the woods by himself in order to live the most simplistic life without possessions. Only living on the necessities of food, shelter, and clothing, he realizes that his ideas and thoughts, which grow out of the soil of

nature are truly his own possessions. Without the controlling nature of his meaningless items, he is able to discover new views on the world and connect nature to reality. In his implicit writing, he expresses that no one will ever own the thoughts you have, but they could easily own the same tangible item you have. The knowledge you posses is much more important than a physical entity. In comparison, Sartre's view of owning our knowledge allows us to have the secure belief that no one can steal the thoughts or experiences we have, but only the objects. Just as we can continue to buy objects, we can grow the vast horizon of our mind.
Besides merely thoughts, tangible possessions can lead to your knowledge and self growth as well.

The fundamentals behind growing as a human allow you to understand the true meaning of owning. As a child, we had a belief that the toys are parents bought for us were truly “ours”. Although as we age, we begin to realize the worth of money and how the things around us were not ours at all. The exhausting work it takes, the endless hours, the insignificant wage and it all leads to a squandered bank account. In the end, we realize how much the world revolves around currency. Through this idea of having the possession of money or of not, we finally grasp this cruel idea. In Plato’s ideology, some possessions can be detrimental to character, products can make a person greedy, but just like a person can crave money, people can also desire to do good with money. Rather than working for greed, people will work for others and volunteer their time. This is where Aristotle's theory of developing moral character shines through. Since these people already believe they have enough wealth, they will pass it on to those who do not ‒ the birth of supply side

economics.
Henceforth, all three of these philosophers spoke truth and revealed the meaning behind the relationship of ownership. The articles we hold close, whether they are physical or abstract can lead to negative or positive impacts. The innate nature of a person is what controls whether possessions will defeat them or lead them to success. Consequently, ownership is a key development to a person’s self identity and without it we would not be able to express the true beings we are.