Societys Reactions To Walden :: essays research papers

When Walden was published during the nineteenth century, the reactions of people were exceedingly different than they are of modern society. These reactions were towards every aspect of Thoreau and altered with every change in time. The foremost reactions toward Henry David Thoreau occurred when he went to live on his own at Walden Pond. As strange as it may seem, some critics think that Thoreau’s choice to live at Walden Pond was simply because he was a hermit. However, his sheltered life was the result of his brother’s death, which promoted Henry to go to Walden Pond (Life 1). Henry explains in Walden, â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived† (Life 1). As anyone may obviously see, Thoreau did not choose a life on the pond simply because he was a hermit. He left his nearby town of Conco rd for the life at the pond on July 4, 1845, which was Independence Day (Life 1). By leaving for Walden on July 4th Independence Day, Henry would have spent his first full day at Walden Pond on the anniversary of his brother’s birthday (Life 1). Although many believe Henry was a recluse, Henry was no stranger to society while he lived at the pond (Life 1). As he himself said, â€Å"I had more visitors while I lived in the woods than at any other period in my life; I mean that I had some† (Thoreau 119). These visitors Henry had at the pond included both his family and his friends, who he had, frequent dinners with (Life 1). The reactions of the people during Thoreau’s time were very diverse, some were positive while others were negative. John Burroughs was one of the few people who wrote frequently on Thoreau. He points out quite rightly that Thoreau was more interested in natural philosophy than natural science (Harding 87). In later years he forgot that and devoted most of his criticism to pointing out Thoreau’s many errors in scientific identification of species, and thus lost the broader concept of Thoreau’s work (Hendrick 87). Meanwhile, the reactions of Thoreau’s neighbors weren’t all that bad. In Thoreau’s Journal, Thoreau states, â€Å"How I love the simple reserved countrymen my neighbors who mind their own business and let me alone who never waylaid nor shot at me to my knowledge when I crossed their fields though each one has a gun in his house† (Harding 47).

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 27

I ran out onto the lawn. Fire was everywhere, and I noticed that the servants' quarters had burst into flames. Right now, the main house looked safe, but who knew how long that would last? I saw glimpses of flames in the woods, and a large group converged around the police wagon. But all I cared about was finding Damon. Finally, I spotted a figure wearing a blue coat, sprinting toward the pond. I turned on my heel and followed him through the field. â€Å"Stefan!† I heard my name and stopped, looking about wildly. â€Å"Over here!† I turned and saw Jonathan Gilbert, his eyes wild, standing at the edge of the forest, a bow and arrow in one hand, his compass in the other. Jonathan looked down at his invention almost in disbelief. â€Å"There's a vampire in the forest. My compass is pointing, but I need help with a lookout.† â€Å"Jonathan!† I yelled, panting. â€Å"I can't †¦ I have to find †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly, I saw a flash of white from the forest. Jonathan turned and raised his bow to his shoulder. â€Å"Who goes there?† he called, his voice ringing like a clarion bell. Instantly, he released the arrow. I saw the beginning of its arc as it flung into the darkness. Then we heard a scream, followed by a thud. Jonathan ran into the forest, and I heard a long, low moan. â€Å"Jonathan!† I called wildly, then stopped short. I saw Jonathan kneeling over a prone figure. He turned up to me, his eyes shining with tears. â€Å"It's Pearl,† he said dully. There was an arrow stuck under her shoulder. She moaned, and her eyes fluttered under her lids. â€Å"Pearl!† Jonathan said, angrily this time, as he roughly yanked out the arrow. I turned in horror, not wanting to watch. Instead, I ran with all my might toward the pond, hoping against hope that Damon was still there. â€Å"Damon?† I called tentatively, as I picked my way around tree roots. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the wooded darkness and relative quiet of the forest. I saw a figure perched on a felled tree branch. â€Å"Damon?† I called quietly. The figure turned around, and I gasped. Damon's face was white, and his dark hair was sticking to his forehead. The gash at his temple was bordered by crusted blood, and the whites of his eyes were cloudy. â€Å"Y coward,† he hissed, drawing his knife ou from his pocket. â€Å"No.† I held my hands up and took a step back. â€Å"Don't hurt me.† â€Å"Don't hurt me!† he mocked in a high-pitched voice. â€Å"I knew you'd tell Father eventually. I just don't know why Katherine trusted you with her secret. Why she believed you wouldn't turn her in. Why she loved you.† His voice broke on the word love, and he dropped the knife. His face crumpled in anguish, and he didn't look dangerous or hateful. He looked broken. â€Å"Damon, no. No. No.† I kept repeating the word as my mind whirled. Had Katherine loved me? I remembered the moments she'd stare at me, her hands on my shoulders. You must love me, Stefan. Tell me we'll be together forever. You have my heart. I'd always felt the same woozy, heady sensation running through my limbs and up to my brain, wanting to do anything for her. But now, when I thought of her true nature, all I could do was shudder. â€Å"She didn't love me,† I said finally. She'd compelled me, and she made me hurt everyone I loved. I felt hatred rise up from the depth of my soul, and I wanted to lead the charge against Katherine. Until I looked at my brother. Damon rested his head in his hands, staring at the ground. It was then that I realized: Damon loved Katherine. He loved her despite, or maybe because of, her dark side. When I'd seen Katherine lying bound on the floor, foaming at the mouth, I'd felt a stomach-turning revulsion. But Damon's love for Katherine transcended her current state. Damon loved Katherine so much that he'd accept the vampire side of her, instead of pretending it didn't exist. And in order to be truly happy, Damon needed to be with her. Now I understood. I needed to save Katherine to save Damon. In the distance, wails and cries filled the gunpowder-scented air. â€Å"Damon. Damon.† I repeated his name, each time with an increasing urgency. He looked up, and I saw tears in his eyes, threatening to spill out. Not since Mother died had I seen Damon cry. â€Å"I'll help you save her. I know you love her. I will help.† I kept repeating the word help, as if it were some sort of charm. Please, I pleaded in my mind as I looked at Damon's eyes. There was a moment of silence. Finally, Damon offered an almost imperceptible nod. â€Å"Okay,† he said in a ragged voice, clasping my wrist and dragging me to the edge of the forest.

Essay about Negative Effects of Social Networking

Social Networking has been on the rise at an astonishing pace in recent years. In 1992, less than five million people in the United States used email (Goodale). In a 2010 study conducted by Miriam Geller, Yahoo! Mails Director of Product Management, it was recorded that more than 270 million people access Yahoo! email alone (Brownlow). This exemplifies the incredible amount of popularity the internet has gained in the short span of eighteen years. Formal letters and phone calls have long been forgotten, being replaced with this new wave of technological communication called Social Networking. Social Networking is defined as using websites that allow users to share content, interact, and develop communities around similar interests.†¦show more content†¦They are becoming increasingly narcissistic and feel they can take on anything the world throws at them, highlighting their accomplishments in very public ways online (Kelsey 7). Teenagers especially are becoming progressively reliant on the use of Mobile Social Networking Software (MoSoSo) to the point of obsession. With networks that are willing to modify their entire website at the click of a button, it is no wonder internet addiction is growing to be extremely prevalent. In a recent survey conducted at Raymond S. Kellis High School, ninety-four percent of all participating students were a part of at least one social networking site. Likewise, almost twenty percent of the students divulged that they spend thirteen or more hours on those websites per week (Topilko). For some, the computer is a valuable tool used for work or education; for countless children and adults alike, the habitual, superfluous need for these types of online interactions can muddle basic judgments. Consequently, generations are becoming more susceptible to tricks and viruses multiplying and spreading seemingly overnight. Not only are the masterminds behind the swanky internet attractions constantly modifying, adding to, and improving those sites, but the pace at which virus creators are keeping up is wickedly brilliant. A recent comprehensive study by Kaiser Family Foundation, found that kids ages eight through eighteen actuallyShow MoreRelatedNegative Effects of Social Networking835 Words   |  4 PagesSocial networking has become a means of communication in the present world and has become an important part of one’s life. Social networking is no longer in its infancy stage. The emergence of social networking continues to offer customers with a variety of options and meaningful ways through which they can engage people and events. Besides this, the social networking sites are creating some potential harm to the society. Students are becoming the main victims of social networking. 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