In Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and Civil Disobedience, a problem is presented in the way in which we live our lives. Thoreau sees this problem and goes to Walden Pond to find the solution. Yet his solution is controversial in that it seems to propose actions that go against human nature. Thoreau’s prescription for American desperation cannot be accepted by the masses for it is rooted in anti-socialism when humans are essentially social in nature. However, this conclusion is not entirely accurate, as one needs to explore Thoreau’s entire solution and the intent of what he is saying in this work.
First, the problem needs to be defined as Thoreau sees it. And he sees this problem in Concord, the city in which he lives, as such a threat to his very survival and mental well being that he actually leaves this town to go live in semi-seclusion. The problems he observes within the town and people around him are actually numerous and yet all-encompassing. He observes some character traits inherent in the people of Concord as flawed and leading to the deconstruction of their humanity. These traits include desperation, materialism, commercialism, industriousness, and insincerity.
Desperation was like a combination of blinders and a weight tied to the ankle of every person. These ‘desperate’ men choose menial jobs and work long hours because “they honestly think there is no choice left” (Thoreau 50). They are caught in this continuous cycle of pursuing empty dreams and putting faith into the teachings of the old. Yet the old “have no very important advice to give the young”, says Thoreau, “their own experience has been so partial, and their own lives have been suc…
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…n. It’s not necessarily misanthropic or anti-social, it’s his solution to a problem. This solution, however, is hard to understand and even more difficult to execute. Thoreau does offer us with a viable, if cryptic, solution.
Works Cited and Consulted
Botkin, Daniel B. “The Depth of Walden Pond: Thoreau as a Guide to Solving Twenty-First Century Problems.” The Concord Saunterer, 9 (2001), 5-14.
Cafaro, Philip. “Thoreau’s Virtue Ethics in Walden.” The Concord Saunterer, 8 (2000), 23-47.
Richardson, Robert D. Jr. “The Social Ethics of Walden.” In Myerson, 1988, 235-248.
Thoreau, Henry David. “Walden.” Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter Fourth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995.
Thoreau, Henry. “Civil Disobedience.” Elements of Argument: A text and Reader. Ed. Annette T. Rottenberg. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.
Attracting More Fans to College Games
Attracting More Fans to College Games
Where are the fans? That is the most commonly asked question at a University football game. During the past few years at University football games, the university has been lacking with their football fans. How come nobody comes to the games? At most universities, football season is the largest season of the year. People spend hundreds of dollars on season tickets and go out of their way to attend the games. What can the university do to attract more fans to their games?
It all begins with SOS and SOS . Those are the freshman orientations. Every freshman has been through it and knows what I am talking about. Many of the SOS and SOS leaders told the freshman during orientation that nobody goes to the football games instead, they go to the basketball games. As a freshman you want to do everything that you can to fit into the crowd. Of course if an older student tells you that it is not “cool” to go to a football game, then most likely you are not going to go. Freshman Lucy O’Kelley says, “I was scared to go to the football games after my SOS leader told me that nobody went to them. I thought I would be they only one sitting in the stands, so I did not attend the games this past season.” If most of the freshman felt that way then that was about 900 possible fans that the SOS and SOS leaders scared away. They are supposed to be leaders of the university, but yet they are scaring the fans away.
The game day needs to be changed. If the games were held on Thursday nights instead of Saturday mornings that would improve the turn out of fans. Most people want to watch their favorite football teams such as Alabama and UT play Saturday instead of going to our university football game. Former university football player John Autry says, “There were some games when the university players paid more attention to what was going on in the Florida game.” A lot of university students go home on the weekends, so they are not even here on Saturdays. Friday nights are out of the question because that is when everyone wants to watch his or her brother or sister play high school football. If the game started at 7:00 p.