Tab Article
On the surface it seemed simple enough - to live alone in a hut in the woods for a year and a half. But when he undertook this challenge in 1845, Henry David Thoreau was not merely testing his ability to live off the land. By escaping civilization, with all its rules and customs and conventions, he hoped to clear his mind for some very serious thinking.
Thoreau's fascinating, detailed account of his sojourn on the shores of Walden Pond brings alive a whole world - fish and birds, trees and crops, sun and stars and seasons, all viewed through the prism of Thoreau's probing, restless mind. Not content to observe, he wrestled with the meaning of what he saw around him.
Seeking solitude, Thoreau found intellectual freedom. While you may not agree with all of the answers he found, this exploration will surely spur you to seek some answers of your own.
