"Where I Lived, and What I Lived For" by Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau, H. (2011). Where i lived, and what i lived for. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.


In David Thoreau's essay, he describes his life in his cabin at Walden Pond. He enjoys living in his cabin because it gives him a sense of "simplicity". It allows him freedom, away from reality. He thinks of his cabin as godlike, not in the sense of superiority, but a freedom to create his own world. Thoreau decides to choose his own reality, and in doing so, he has more freedom in life. Living in his cabin, away from the real world and advancing technology, is life fulfilling to him. I understand his point of view, and would also find it relaxing, for a short time. Thoreau enjoyed being away from technology, or newspaper, because he wanted to choose what to know about the world. Since advancements in technology, the word "simplicity" has changed meanings. In some opinions, the internet, newspaper, and television has made life simpler in  efficiently delivering news to the public. I think those ways have made the circulation of information easier and faster. As Thoreau describes, living in Walden Pond brought him peace from his meaning of simplicity, but living with the help of technology is also a source of simplicity to those who chose to take advantage of it.