Friday, April 4, 2008

Self in Society

In his introduction, Thoreau states his purpose in using the first person, an unconventional practice at the time, in Walden:
I should not talk so much about myself if there were any body else whom I knew as well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience.
Throughout "Economy," we learn that although he centers his thought based on his own experiences at Walden, the majority of "Economy" consists of critiquing society during his time, and offering counter-narratives to conventional living and ethics.

Write a 3-5 page (double spaced and typed) personal narrative that critiques certain aspects of today's society. What personal experiences have you had that inform your critique of today's society? What are some counter-narratives you would offer your readers today? Thoreau's experience at Walden was an experiment to test and develop his analysis. What experience would you take or have you taken to develop your critique on society? Utilize at least three literary strategies from our list of literary tools on the right panel of this blog.
This essay is due April 7th.

No comments: