Outside Reading #3 -Chelsea Gilbert

Henry David Thoreau's Walden was created so Thoreau could show readers that having a simple life is much better than living a glorious one. He stated that he wanted to know, when he died, that he had truly lived. He felt that if he didn't live the essential facts of life, he wouldn't have truly lived. In his Walden Thoreau talked a lot about solitude in nature, but he emphasized that no one is ever really lonely if they are in nature. He saw the wilderness as a true companion rather than humanity. Thoreau also touched base with the idea of self-reliance-living completely on your own. This idea is similar to what Chris McCandless did when he traveled cross country or what some who hike the AT or other trails, live by. Going out into nature without any boundaries but no immediate supplies other than food or water. Thoreau, his Walden, and spirituality relate closely because they all emphasize the astounding power of nature and what it does for the human spirit.