“Walden, or Life in the Forest” Toro in brief summary
In this book, Thoreau describes his own life, the period when, for two years, he lived alone on the shore of the Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, and shares his views on the meaning of being and on the most rational way of combining spiritual activity with providing the necessary material living conditions.
The hut, which he built with his own hands, stands in the forest a mile away from all housing. He earns food exclusively by the labor of his hands. She uses basic necessities, which includes food, shelter and clothing. According to Thoreau, a modern person is beyond his needs, forcing himself to spend time and energy to earn money and acquire on them something that, if done by his own hand, would cost him much less and would require less effort. Everyone can get food, working on a small plot exclusively on himself, to build a house with his own hands, as Toro did, to wear simple, homespun clothes. Then man could cease to be a slave of civilization and his own, would have
Passing by often find him working on the ground, in particular, for cultivating beans. Working without a horse, ox and farm laborers, he manages to become friends with them, they tie him to the ground, in them he draws strength. He does not resort to the aid of agricultural allowances, since for him the volume of the crop does not matter. Simultaneously with the beans, he “plants” the grains of spiritual values: sincerity, truth, simplicity, faith, innocence. This is more important for him. He turns agriculture into a truly sacred occupation, as it was once, and is ready to sacrifice not only the first, but also the last material fruits of his allotment.
After work, he goes to the nearest village for news at least once every two days. There, after visiting someone from his acquaintances, after listening to the news, he returns home at night, and at the same time he never fails. Although getting lost in the forest, in his opinion, is an unforgettable and instructive sensation. While a person does not lose his way, he does not comprehend the whole “vastness and uniqueness of Nature.” Leaving the house, he never locked the door. However, he was never robbed. He is convinced that if everyone lived as simply as he did, robberies would be unknown, since they occur where some have surpluses, while others do not have the necessary.
Within a few miles of his hut, in addition to Waldan, there are several more ponds. He describes their life as the life of living beings. Coastal trees seem to him eyelashes, downed lake-eyes, cliffs – this eyebrows, the shore – the lips that pond licks. Instead of visiting scientists, he visits some rare trees in those parts – black birch, beech or some especially high pine. Once during a long walk, he enters the house of a very poor large Irishman, advises him to follow his own example, to give up work for the master, to live a carefree life and to meet adventures. Then, according to Thoreau, the Irishman will be able to cope with his need.
Sometimes, in addition to striving for spiritual life, wild beginnings awake in him, and he goes fishing, hunting. However, if a person bears the seeds of spirituality, then when he grows up, he refuses such activities. So in time Toro enters and almost completely refuses animal food. It seems to him that there is something very impure in it. It prevents the preservation of spiritual strength and poetic feeling. If we give it up completely, of course, there may be some physical weakening of the body, but do not regret it, because such a life is in harmony with the “supreme principles.” He does not drink wine, but only clean water from the pond, because he wants to always be sober. If you’re intoxicated, it’s only air, Thoreau thinks. Near him dwells many animals: a very tamed wild mouse that eats from his palm, partridge with its chicks, whose calm and wise eyes Thore seem as ancient as the sky itself, which reflects them. He witnesses the fight of ants, red and black, and feels the same excitement as if there were people in front of him. On the pond, he watches the loon, which, trying to outwit him, dives all day into the pond.
Closer to winter Toro lays in his home hearth. Fire hearth also becomes his friend. Looking at the fire in the evenings, he clears his thoughts and his soul from the filth accumulated during the day. In winter, few people wander into his hut. But it seems a great opportunity to watch the animals. Near his house, he throws unripe corn cobs, potato peelings, and then follows with interest the habits of rabbits, squirrels, juices, tits attracted by delicacy. Once a sparrow sits on his shoulder, he perceives this as a difference “higher than any epaulettes”.
In winter, the pond falls asleep and is covered with a layer of blue ice. In the morning, people come to him to catch perch and pike. The villagers and even entire artillery crews stock up on the ice for the summer.
About the Walden Pond, people believe that it has no bottom. In early 1846, armed with a compass, chain and a lot, Thore finds the bottom and measures the depth of the pond.
In late March – early April, the pond is opened. Under the influence of sunlight in the mornings and closer to the evening it hums, and then it seems that it is stretching and yawning the awakening person. The whole Earth for Thoreau is a living being. Returning from the south, in the spring geese, ducks, pigeons, swallows fly over the pond, frogs and turtles appear. The grass begins to turn green. The spring morning brings forgiveness of all sins and a call for spiritual rebirth. Thoreau believes that people should live in unison with nature, listen to its commandments. In the life of cities, there would be a stagnation, if the wild nature did not co-exist with them, because for them it is a source of cheerfulness. Man wants to know everything at the same time, and leave the mystery of nature unsolved. He needs to know that there are forces that surpass his own.
Thus ends the first year of Toro’s life in the forest. The second year is very similar to him, and the author does not describe it. September 6, 1847 Toro finally leaves Walden.
He leaves the forest for the equally important reasons for settling in it. It seems to him that he must live a few more lives, and not go on the already beaten track. If a person boldly goes to his dream, then he expects success, which is not given to everyday life. His life in this case begins to obey the higher laws, and he attains the supreme freedom. The more he simplifies his life, the easier it seems to him universal laws; loneliness, poverty, weakness cease to exist for him. It is not even necessary to understand the surrounding people, since in the general mass of everything there is dullness and conventionality. Everyone should try to do their own thing, to become what he was born to be. If modern mankind and modern man can seem pygmies, in comparison with the ancient peoples, then, in Toro’s opinion, one must try to become a “
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