Activities about 'The Journal'

Instructions:

1. Who was David Thoreau?

2. Which part of the journal is this? Find more info here:
http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/writings_journals.html
3. How do you think his transcendentalist ideas of nature influenced this part of the journal?
More info here: http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/thoreau_life.html
4. What is his attitude towards the gold rush in California? Provide evidences/examples from
the text.
5. Why do you think Thoreau compares the gold rush with “the lottery” and gambling? How
many times does he do it in this part of the journal?
6. Why does Thoreau mention Satan at the end of the journal?

QUESTION 1: Who was David Thoreau?

American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher, Henry David Thoreau was a New England
Transcendentalist and author of the book Walden. Thoreau was a very popular figure of the 19th
century; he was a transcendentalist philosopher and a radical thinker of politics. He was part of a
group concerned with moral values. He was disciple of the influential transcendentalist Emerson.

QUESTION 2: Which part of the journal is this?

To be answered

QUESTION 3: How do you think his transcendentalist ideas of nature influenced this part of
the journal?

Thoreau's careful observations of the cycles of growing plants, of water levels in the local rivers
and ponds, of fluctuating temperatures, and of many other natural phenomena are recorded in his
Journal. They became the basis for a series of lists and charts that provided precise information for
several essays in Transcendental natural history that remained unfinished at his death, and that show
him developing another kind of writing--more scientific than his excursions but no less poetic.

QUESTION 4: What is his attitude towards the gold rush in California? Provide
evidences/examples from the text.

He is against the Golden Rush philosophy. Literally, he said: 'The rush to California reflects the
greatest disgrace on mankind.—The miner’s hopes rest on luck; and their cause called enterprise . .
. men who do thus make God a moneyed gentleman who amuses himself by throwing down pieces of
money to see the rabble scrabble for them. What a satire on the Deity! . . . Why are the pulpits
silent? Silent, because some of their preachers even are gone to California . . . the gold digger
gambles, for what is the difference between shaking dice or dirt.'

(https://www.thoreausociety.org/news-article/%E2%80%9Cleaving-croakers-annihilate-him
%E2%80%9D-thoreau-gold-rush-and-nantucket%E2%80%99s-answer-%E2%80%9Cwhat-shall)

See: 'the greatest disgrace on mankind...by precept and example' (lines 3-6): His idea of the
significance of work. Individuals should contribute to society with their individual efforts (gold
digger doesn't do it). Moreover, he's criticizing those who think believe these actions are right are
losing the ethical resonsability.

See lines 9-12 'of what significance ... slaveholding'. Using slaves to get the gold is extremely
unethical.

QUESTION 5: Why do you think Thoreau compares the gold rush with “the lottery” and
gambling? How many times does he do it in this part of the journal?

He's referring that they are getting the gold with no effort, 'by luck' (line 11). So it compares this
unethical way of getting the gold with the lottery: both of them you are able to get it with no effort.

QUESTION 6: Why does Thoreau mention Satan at the end of the journal?

Satan, the devil figure of the Church, is said by Thoreau to be the responsable to take people to
California. So if god is not who takes them but evil, there can not be a good path.