Abstract

Transcendentalism is a very important literary school in the history of American Literature. As an outstanding representative of American Transcendentalism in the 19th century， Henry David Thoreau is the student of Emerson， who had inherited the development of Transcendentalism and practiced the spirit of Transcendentalism. He shows a record of his life and his personal practice of transcendental ideas in Walden， which is a great work of transcendentalism.

This paper focuses on transcendentalism philosophies in Walden. This thesis consists of three parts. In the first part， the thesis will introduce simply Thoreau’s work Walden and the transcendentalism thoughts in Walden. In the second part， the thesis will introduce the definition. In the third part， the thesis will analyzes transcendentalism thoughts in Walden， combining with Emerson’s transcendentalism.

Key words： "transcendentalism; Walden; Thoreau; nature; solitude

1. Introduction

Thoreau’s masterpiece， Walden， is a great transcendentalism work， which came out of the period under discuss. Thoreau felt that man should seek truth directly by himself and not through imitation of others. As he saw it， the best way to find truth is by coming back to the nature， because modern civilized life has dehumanized man and placed man in a spiritual adversity. Hence the book is full of people waking-up， as a matter of fact， he wakes up several times by himself in the book. As J.L Bastille sums it up， about man， what he is， and what he should be and must be.

2. Transcendentalism

2.1 The definition of Transcendentalism

The transcendental view emphasizes person's subjective initiative， helping to break the dogmas such as the Calvinism of \"evil human nature\" and \"life word\" dogma， and laying the ideological basis to romantic literature of bold enthusiasm and personality expressions.

3. Walden

3.1 The content of Walden

Walden is a great work which tells us Thoreau’s life in the pond Walden and his feeling about the life. Walden is composed of 18 chapters， each of which has its own title. He begins and ends his narrative in spring. The eighteen chapters celebrate the unity of nature and humanity and portray Thoreau's life at Walden Pond as an ideal model for enjoying that unity.

4. The transcendental views in Walden

4.1Simplicity as the source of spiritual happiness

Thoreau is known for his call to simplify. His approach to Walden is in itself an experiment of simplified lifestyle. As a matter of fact， what Thoreau preaches is not just a way of living， but also an attitude that man should adopt towards nature.

Thoreau’s call to simplify is not only a way of living， but from the perspective of desire motivation criticism， also an attitude man should adopt towards nature. Human desire is destructive， it is pressing for man to propagate simplicity as it is a way to end men’s abuse of nature and an attitude man should adopt toward nature. This is an indispensable part of Thoreau’s views on man-and-nature relationship.

4.2 Harmony with nature

Throughout Thoreau’ life， he aspired to pursue a life that is simple in means， but rich in ends， with a principle of maintaining a harmonious relationship with nature. Such life with principle frees man from mundane affairs and encourages him to unlock the secrets and underlying beauty of nature. In order to realize it， man has to be aware of the importance of life with principle and further cultivate a harmonious relationship between man and nature.

As a nature lover， Thoreau selectively abandons the western understanding of humans' relationship with nature and picks up the one to view humans as “part in the whole” of nature. To realize the ideal “part-whole” relationship， Thoreau chooses to be a participant instead of an observer in nature and take the nature as his friend.

4.3 Solitude

4. 3.1.The deep meaning of solitude in Walden

Thoreau considers solitude could keep a much clearer mind and is much better for people's health while social contact is absolutely a waste of time：\"I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company， even with the best， is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. Society is commonly too cheap\"

The quiet and peaceful atmosphere of solitude could only felt by quiescent mind. He pointed in his essays that \"Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows.\" Isolation refers much more to a mental state instead of really existed.

5. Conclusion

Walden is not merely a record about Thoreau’s life in the woods; its value exists because Thoreau thinks deeply about man’s relation to nature， and the necessity for man’s individual development. His way of simple living provides a good way for us to deal with spiritual crisis in our days. Walden also gives readers a chance to reconsider their responsibility not only for the survival of the earth nut also the survival of the spirit. His transcendental view about life is a symbol for America transcendentalism.

Simplicity seems to be Thoreau's model for life. Throughout the book， Thoreau constantly seeks to simplify his lifestyle： he patches his clothes rather than buy new ones， he minimizes his consumer activity， and relies on leisure time and on himself for everything. Man is part of nature， while nature bears human’s nature. Man should return to nature and be harmony with nature.

Thoreau also treats solitude as a best friend of himself. He never has aloneness during the two years when he lives there alone. Solitude is the excellent condition for Thoreau’s transcendental contemplations.