Bus 105 1st Edition Lecture 5 Outline of Last Lecture II Goethe from Faust A Mountains B Open Country C Palace D Outer Court E Other Outline of Current Lecture III Thoreau Economy from Walden A Materialism B Desperation C Productiveness IV Woodsworth The World Is Too Much With Us A Nature Current Lecture Thoreau Walden s actions are an experiment In the first chapter he maps out how much it will cost to survive in the woods Before he lived in the woods he used to teach Unfortunately he felt like he was teaching for vocational purposes He also did retail trade but he said that brought him to the devil Also he was a writer When Walden is in the woods he notices something about the quality of life He sees that most people are miserable One explanation to this misery is that we aren t seeking our goals that will satisfy us He argues that we should focus on the quality of our lives To maintain ourselves on earth is not a hardship but a pastime if we live simply and wisely Simplicity is imperative We think that all things are essential but if we focus on improving ourselves we will live happier lives If we focus on ourselves instead of technology then who will build technology These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute We depend on technology and we ve made our lives a hardship by depending on unnecessary things Walden mentions the burden of inheritance When we buy more technology we become more dependent on it The foolishness of materialism Things are more easily acquired then they are gotten rid of People accumulate more than they need Finer fruits Things like learning and experiencing life We are so focused on material goods that we ignore things that are truly valuable This results in being burdened with debt and Thoreau would argue that we get more education to buy more things The benefits of productiveness We really need food clothing shelter and fuel We feel a pressure to live like others by accumulating unnecessary things Most things are hindrances that blind us from pursuing our passions He talks about things he s done in his life that would surprise the readers He used to be the reporter of a journal that didn t publish anything These were through letter to the editor because he merely wants to express himself He also provides benefit to society by going into the wild and moving trees and what not He was not looking for monetary compensation He just wanted to help society The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation These are folk who live paycheck to paycheck and as a result of it are miserable Thoreau states he s addressing this message to those who are miserable not to those who are truly desperate and really live from paycheck to paycheck Most people who live from paycheck to paycheck have a choice Woodsworth Romantic movement We ve lost touch with Mother Nature The world is too much w us All we focus on is getting things and spending money We ve lost our connection with nature which provides us with life