English 1120 Comparative Analysis: Thoreau & Solnit

Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
Solnit on Thoreau
The nineteenth century came with a number of developments, some of which were as pleasant and have continued to shape the society as of today. Some of the accounts of the time are captured in the literature that was published at the time and in some of the cases literature that was simply written and never found the light of the day. Of importance in the paper is to establish one specific writing and the impact that it had at the time compared to today. There is a pivotal element that is associated with the way a book is received by the audience, whether intended or otherwise (“Mysteries” 23). It is the worry of every writer that their content is going to have the desired impact on their audience now and for years to come. This is an element that is closely associated with the aspect of timelessness. Such that, while the text may have been written in the early nineteenth century, it is still relevant to this day. This is the same case with, Thoreau, who worried that the audience would actually get to understand the content at the time. He worried that it may be far removed or it may be less understood with the zeal that he intended or at least as he felt when penned the ideas in the book.
“There are probably words addressed to our condition exactly, which, if we could really hear and understand, would be more salutary than the morning or the spring to our lives.” (Thoreau, Henry David)
This is a quote that Thoreau used to refer to his own work, showing the hope that he had for the understanding of the content and the context. He was largely worried that it may have been too removed from the precepts, or that it was too obscure and challenging for them to understand what it meant. This is relative to the fact that, he was writing about concepts that were far removed from the experiences that he had in his life.
In the essay by Solnit, it is clear that Thoreau had experienced that would be termed as deep enough to contemplate what it was for those that experienced the brute of the segregation policies and practices in the country at the time. She tries to bring out her point in reference to the works that he had written and the experiences that he had had as a white. This were a different experiences compared to what the minorities experienced at the hands of the white supremacists. As she points out in the essay, Thoreau, had a close connection with his family. He was especially close with his mother emotionally and as such, he had the support that he needed to carry on his life (“Mysteries” 21). The family did not have any incidences of having to run away for the fear of their safety. In fact, as she points out in the essay, Thoreau was able to pay for the house that his parents lived in. He was also able to do most of the repairs on the home. At the same time he also had a place to live and would more often than not visit his parents. This goes to show that he had a stable upbringing and even the family were safe and carrying on with their lived, without the interference of the authorities. At the same time, the element of providing for his family was sustainable without much hustle. This was not the case of the slaves or the minor...