Live Free & Uncommited

If Thoreau’s not hinting at becoming humble – by focusing on the necessities, or providing alternative lifestyle skills to avoid being like the pompous rich - then he’s expressing living life to the fullest instead of settling. It's important to "...live free and uncommitted.” In other words; Thoreau is saying to embrace options in life, and live off of them to express potentials and capabilities.

What makes this so powerful, is that throughout the book he’s known as this independent guy that seems like he doesn’t wanna settle down in this formal lifestyle. He’d rather focus on the natural, open, aspects – and show harm from getting caught up with things like mortgaging and house improvements. Right off the bat, he's trying to appeal to his audience. Using “I”, gain's trust. It’s like Thoreau is trying to relate to his audience as much as he can so he doesn't seem controlling. His ultimate goal is to persuade that the advantage of taking control. For instance, “garden” could be symbolic to a carrier, life in general, etc. – and the “seeds” are the opportunities that he lays out for himself. It’s like the famous quote; when you close one door another opens. By constantly controlling the garden and having a lot of opportunities by his side, a sense of empowerment could be taken away as a token to life by.

As I continue to read – the more I understand that there will always be obstacles in life’s path; it’s another piece of wisdom that you can interpret with Thoreau. For instance, couldn’t buy the Hollowell farm; and with vivid details you could see how attached that he became to it.  That's why he's emphasizing (but further establishing his ethos) with un-commitment. Thoreau then uses “I shall plant, I shall be less likely to be disappointed.” Since this is the only parallel, repetitive sentence it stands out, making his point clear. It then leads up to the end. He goes on to say, it makes no difference “whether you’re committed to farm or county jail.” The diction is strong; his form of comparison is blunt, but connects well.  Either way, when you stay committed to something you’re trapped; there may be a way out of it; but it’s very slim. That’s why it’s best to avoid the suffering.

The claim is refreshing. People are so quick to settle down; this would be the slap in the face that would allow his intended audience to see that there’s so much that they could still do with their lives. His diction, intended symbolism/comparisons, work well for him.

 

 

(Sorry this is so bad; sick + dead + tired)