Group Précis On "Why I Went To The Woods"

     In chapter two of Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book Walden, he claims that life should be lived in more of a simple manner asking, "Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life?" (3) The author says, "Men think that it is essential that the Nation have commerce, and export ice, and talk through a telegraph, ride thirty miles an hour, without a doubt, whether they do or not, but whether we should live like baboons or like men is a little uncertain," (2) reinforcing his thesis that we require very little to fulfill our lives. Thoreau details this in order to connect with nature, sharing the simplicity of the world around us, while still finding time to value and appreciate the journey of life and all it has to offer. With a literal tone, the author hopes to connect with the American people, to persuade them that there are better, worthier outlooks on life.