Walden
The chapter we read was the first chapter, economy.
In the story, Thoreau moves from moral gravity to the style
of a how-to manual, and then to a lyrical flight of fancy,
and then to a diary entry.
Thoreau would happily admit the charge of self-centeredness:
he shows his vision and in the depths of his mind and soul.
The vitality of this first chapter makes us ponder whether a
lively sense of being centered in one’s world is such a bad thing after all.
But is it really that easy to move from complicated life to simple life?
I doubt it. Especially tto our generation.
I might live without cellphone, but I may not live without internet.