Walden Wisdom

To many in the mid-nineteenth century, New England would’ve been the entire world.  For Henry David Thoreau, self-proclaimed weather man and transcendentalist, New England was but a particle in the vast expanse of the universe. 

There is obviously much more to the world than the six quaint states of New England.  To some, spending two years in solitude in the woods of Walden Pond would make the five square miles that Thoreau occupied, would make those miles seem like the entire world.  Walden was a small part of Massachusetts, a smaller part of the United States, and a microscopic fleck in the Milky Way. 

Thoreau’s words of wisdom might be wasted on such non-intellects, but would appeal to his educated audience, which was composed of philosophers, Transcendentalists, and literary minds.  Though Walden was meant to be an account of his time living in the woods, Thoreau (the genius he was) made it unintentionally one of the greatest works of literature of all time.  The subtle, yet bold aphorisms, the simplicity, and the picture of Thoreau is burned into your mind.  His accounts give view to his beliefs and what he thinks is important; nature, living simply away from want of material goods, and the straightforwardness of the earth. 

One can hardly read Walden without wanting to visit each and every nook and cranny of the globe.  The emotion behind his statements proclaiming, “Travel! Explore! Discover!” can’t help but lodge themselves in your brain.  “The universe is wider than our views of it” (Thoreau 260) just begs you to go out and view everything.  In the conclusion to Walden Thoreau says that the goose is more of a traveller than people, for the goose has breakfast in Canada, lunch in Ohio, and a quiet supper down south.  How can Thoreau have the authority to tell us, his beloved and cherished readers, to explore the world when he stayed within a five-mile radius (maybe 10, max) for two years?  It is his cunning wisdom and ethos that make you want to never stop travelling. 

Walden has as many claims as the actual pond has pebbles.  Live simply, don’t be lazy and buy a basket when you can make one yourself, stop and smell the coffee once in a while (but for him it was probably the wildflowers – no Starbucks in Walden).  However, the one that stands out the most is Thoreau’s obvious adoration for nature.  Even the rain that keeps him indoors, will benefit him later, when his bean harvest is plentiful.     

Do not build your own fences and walls; keep your life and soul as open so that the wind may pass freely through it (not a Thoreau quote, a me quote).  To be honest, with all his nature-loving-woods-soul-cleansing shtick, Thoreau would’ve made an excellent hippie.  For all we know, hippies got their ideology from Walden. 

Army Inc. Rhetorical Analysis

The purpose of this article is to compare the United States Army to a corporation.  In addition to that, the author, James Surowiecki of the New Yorker, argues that the newest fad (well new in 2004, which was ten years ago) for the government was outsourcing.  But on the other hand, Surowiecki argues that to do things “in house” (1) is easier and more efficient. 

The audience of this article would be anyone willing to read it.  Having been published in the New Yorker, a very distinguished weekly magazine, the audience would be intelligent and social, economic, and political aware individuals. 

Surowiecki uses a plethora of techniques including ethos and logos.  This voice is well represented in this piece through its enticing language and the hook of his opening statement.  Also, his last sentence really wraps up his argument nicely. 

He uses a multitude of facts and bits of common sense.  He is a credible source, being a writer for a very dignified and old magazine. 

Published on January 12, 2004, this article was written well before the economic crash of 2008 and during the presidency of George W. Bush and in the height of U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  At that point in time, the United States military was very strong and crucial to the national defense. 

Some of Surowiecki’s claims include comparing the United States Army to company like General Motors and that, “outsourcing works well when there;s genuine competition among suppliers – that’s when the virtues of the private sector come into play” (2).

The language of this article really improves Surowiecki’s already excellent argument.  One good example from the first page is, “the Army becomes a lean, mean killing machine” (1).  This is funny and also accurate because that’s exactly what the Army does – it’s supposed to kill those who try to breach the national security of the United States.  The title is also a great play on words, Army Inc.  This starts Surowiecki’s claim that the Army works like a company, which means that it's out to make a profit and benefit those involved in the process.