Walden – Structure of Economy The critical beginning of Economy starts off with Thoreau speaking about others. Thoreau talks about how other people questioned his experiment of living at Walden Pond. He also talks about those who live in New England and comments on how they live their lives. He compares them to Brahmins and Hercules almost in a mocking fashion. “… even these forms of conscious penance are hardly more incredible and astonishing than the scenes which I daily witness. The twelve labors of Hercules were trifling in comparison with those which my neighbors have undertaken….” This penance he speaks of seems to be the way the New Englanders live their lives. He speaks of inheriting farms as a misfortune, that they are “digging their graves as soon as they are born”. He says that their labor is their life, no more, no less and that they are living a fool’s life. Throughout the beginning, Thoreau sounds as if he is mocking those whose labor is their life, yet he also sounds as if he pities them and wants to help them. …show more content…
He seems to reject old ideas and traditions in favor for new ones. He believes “Old deeds for old people, and new deeds for new.” And that we need to begin to think outside the box. He says that no old idea can be trusted without proof and that there is always new information. He believes that being older doesn’t mean that you are any wiser than someone half your age. That just living doesn’t teach you anything of value, and that you should look at life yourself and analyze it. He mentions that what one person has learned in their life doesn’t apply to others as well and that the great part of life is experiencing life through your