Henry David Thoreau Ii

ANALYSIS Henry David Thoreau i November 1945 value of it—and then put in an evening' or two with the revealing extracts from his journals, or diaries as we call them. Maybe you too will decide that Thoreau was "maladjusted." But you might with- hold judgment until you define this path- ological mouthful. Before the war the boy who ran away from home and joined the army was "maladjusted"; during the war the boy - who refused to join the army on principle was similarly labelled. The word, therèfóre, as 'used", simply means that the person so described is either-in- capable or unwilling to submit to the herd-cult. It connotes some emotional mental weakness, and carries a bit of con- HE secretary of the Thoreau Society descension and of pity with it; that the reports increasing interest in the ability and willingness to stand the crowd Tlong forgotten "ne'er-do-well." It off may indicate exceptional self-reliance takes a long time for word-of-mouth ad-.: is overlooked. Sometimes one cannot help vertising to get around, but because that suspecting that the "adjusted," those who kind of publicity attaches itself only to are quick to fit themselves into any first-class merchandise its effectiveness is thought-pattern prepared by the neigh- irresistible. Recognition of Thoreau's bors, find the term "maladjusted" a con- contribution to the philosophy of individ- venient covering up of some weakness of ualism could not be put off forever. Sev- their own. Maybe the word is plain name- erel books and articles have, of course, calling, pulled up out of the gutter by cropped up to meet the market created "science." The suppressed rebel in us re- by this new interest in Thoreau, but un- sents the courage of those who rebel fortunately these "lives" and commenta- openly. ries have come during an era when the dominating thought-vogues are psychol- In this connection I am reminded of a ogy and collectivism; so that these studies story told by Artemus Ward about Bill- are somewhat overladen with psycho- son, his partner in the show business: analysis and social theory. "Billson," says I, "You hain't got a well- balanced mind." "Yes, I have, old hoss- Therefore, if you want to know Thoreau you had better pass up the diagnosticians fly," he says (he was a low cuss), "Yes, and get down to reading Thoreau. You I have. I've a mind that balances in any will find him an "open book"—quite will- direction the public rekwires, and that's ing' to tell you frankly, and interestingly, what I calls a well-balanced mind." Tho- what he thought and why he lived as he reau did not have that kind of a mind; did. He is quite companionable. Begin, which makes him, it seems, quite a tid- with his ëãi "Civil 'Disobedience, bit for psychologists. Their scalpels might Slavery in Massachusetts, John Brown, more usefully dig into the minds of con- Life Without Principle; if you want more, forming mediocrities; it would be socially and you will, go in for Walden—but you beneficial to discover the consistency of will have to read it slowly to get the full mass putty. * * * BIOGRAPHY of Thoreau worth A professor of economics once told me A reading, because it concerns itself he was convinced that the last word on with revealing the man from his own the subject was pronounced by Henry point of view and not with the biogra- George. "Do you teach him?" I asked. of him, was done by a "No, he is not in the curriculum, and if I Frenchman, Leon Bazalgette. "The gods," tried to teach Henry George it would be says Bazalgette, "have made a Henry who worth my job." Thoreau could not un- is all of a piece, and they have placed him derstand that kind of thinking; if flogging on the earth among objects and souls that were part of the curriculum he would cut himself off from it. He valued Thoreau are different and queer." There you have more than his job. it. What do we mean by "queer"? If all but one of us were color-blind, that one We talk a lot about freedom these days. would indeed seem queer to us; but how When you get to the bottom of this talk would our inability to distinguish colors you realize that, first, very few know appear to the gifted one? And so, as this what freedom is and, secondly, still fewer country bumpkin went through Harvard want it. The fact is that what we call free- in his stout green suit, while the fine dom is an increase in wages (or doles), young gentlemen were uniformed in tra- more profits (or subsidies), or a bottom ditional black, the incongruity which less abundance of privileges. For such caused them to smile was as nothing to things we - particularly the affluent the oddity, as he saw it, of voluntarily among us—are ready to lay freedom on squeezing one's personality into a conven- the line. The essence of freedom, which tion. Even in his 'teens he displays that is an inflexible respect for one's self, is ",militant devotion to various axioms that being bartered every day for mere trifles. he identifies with himself." He could not be cast into a mould; he was not made of Thoreau was not in that business. Once that stuff. Harvard had facilities which the dwindling fortunes of his father's he could use to improve himself. It was pencil factory needed looking into. Henry a means; the end was a better Thoreau. undertook the job and made the best pen- It was not for the "old joke of a diploma" cil in America. He made only one; that that he read enormously, far beyond the was enough. As an honest workman he requirements of his curriculum, though satisfied himself; as a good son he put his outside of it. At nineteen he wrote: father on the way to a competence. Why "Learning is Art's creature, but it is not should he sell himself for pencils? Profits essential to the perfect man: it cannot were not among the axioms which he educate." identified with H. D. Thoreau. Luxuries came too high if the price was freedom. When we reflect on a Thoreau, we must Imagine our "captains of industry" pass- always consider the sanity of the world ing up a profit or a privilege for a chance in juxtaposition to his. Take his first ex- to be men. C •perience as a school-master. In his pedagogy he finds no place for the whipping Freedom is an individual experience. If rod; for this heresy the head-master calls you have it, its objective expression will him to account; being an honest man he find many forms; but if you don't have it must deliver what is expected of him for you will get alor all ' .ht, like any four- footed animal or "sound" citizen, and you his wages; therefore, he lines up at ran- may even go to Heaven; but you can dom a half dozen pupils and thoroughly never be free. Chattel-slavery was the flogs them. But, he must be honest with issue in Thoreau's time, just as State- his axioms, too; therefore he resigns. He slavery is now. A lot of people talked could not afford to let Thoreau drift into about the iniquity of the institution. What false values. Was he or the recognized did Thoreau do? rule of pedagogy queer? He refused to pay the I. poll-tax on the ground that it would be The value you put on freedom is, used by the Commonwealth of Massachu- like all objective value, the price you setts to capture and return fugitive are willing to pay for it. Thoreau's slaves. Now, when you refuse to pay taxes urice came very hieh. and the dif- you are really a dangerous man, for you ference between him and other peo- undermine the structure by which some ple is not to be found in the lingo of men live on the labor of others; therefore psychology but in the greater worth you must be clapped into jail until you he put on self-esteem, which is the see the error of your ways and make your essence of freedom. He rejected the mob because mingling with it de- "adjustment." Of his one night spent be- manded a sacrifice of that self-es- hind bars Thoreau writes: "I did not for teem at the altars of convention and a moment feel confined, and the walls hypocrisy. That he was not unso- cial is evidenced by his friendship seemed a great waste of stone and mor- with people of similar timber and by tar.. I couid not but smile to see his devotion to his family; whether how industriously they locked the it was with Emerson or the wood- door on my meditations, which fol- cutter, with Channing or an Indian lowed them out again without let or guide, his social contacts had to be hindrance. As they could not reach on an above-board basis, unencum- me they resolved to punish my body; bered with trivialities; any other just as boys, if they cannot come terms did not interest him. If being against some person against whom social at any cost to self-esteem is they have a spite, will abuse his dog. the mark of balance, then Thoreau I saw that the State was half-witted, was decidedly queer.

Load more