Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
— Confucius
Unit Goals
After learning the unit, students are expected
·to learn the literary elements of American Transcendentalism,
·to know Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson as the New England transcendentalists and the artistic features of their writings,
·to understand the theme of simple life and explore minor themes in the given selections, to learn some useful words and expressions from the unit, and
·to improve English language skills, communication skills and critical thinking.
Before You Read
1. About the time that Huck Finn and Jim were floating down the Mississippi in search of a home, Henry David Thoreau built a cabin on the shore of a small lake and lived there alone for two years. Walden describes the experiment and explains its motives. Consider what you knew and thought about Thoreau and his Walden experiment before starting your reading.
What were your ideas, attitudes, and images relating to Thoreau and Walden?
Do you think it would be possible to do today what Thoreau did at Walden Pond? Why or why not?
2. Although Transcendentalism as a historical movement was limited in time from the mid 1830s to the late 1840s and in space to eastern Massachusetts, its ripples continue to spread through American culture. Transcendentalism’s questioning of established cultural forms, its urge to reintegrate spirit and matter, its desire to turn ideas into concrete action developed a momentum of its own, spreading from the spheres of religion and education to literature, philosophy, and social reform. Do a mini-research on American Transcendentalism and then fill in the table below.
3. Form groups of three or four students. Try to find, on the Internet or in the library, information about Henry David Thoreau and his time. Get ready for a 5-minute presentation about him and the historical background of Walden in the class.