s purpose for writing this book was to answer questions about his own life, and asSchneider tells us, to enlighten students who are "intellectually poor and unenlightenedthat they do not know how to live" (47-48).It is apparent that Thoreau was concerned about the minds of his readers and their morals.This presents a strong appeal to young people, people who believe in change, and evenrebellious people. Walden is thought of as a book about social protest, an autobiography,and a journey into philosophy and nature which evokes strong feelings. Stern says,"Walden was to be his personal testament, the essence of all he had observed and putdown in his Journal, the bringing together of everything he had felt and thought about"(7).Many people look at the style of Walden more than its content. Critic, Charles R.Anderson, thinks that the book should be read as a poem rather than a book. He explainshow it can be looked at as a web or circle. Walden Pond is in the middle which representsthe peaceful state for which man searches. He says there are radial lines of wit leadingaway from the middle which run across the sensual life. These lines have concentric circleswhich are goals of finding the perfect life or Heaven. He also says that this circle is sotightly constructed that when any part of it is disturbed the whole piece is effected. Hefeels that Walden is a great poem that expresses the true desires of the world and it is sadthat the human race could not attain them (Stern 10-11).There are other great techniques Thoreau includes such as his interest in natural history,politics, economics, prose style, anachronism, theology, etc.... Many of the specificchapters are viewed critically in Walden. Some critics who believe that Walden isspecifically a nature poem think that only those chapters pertaining to nature should beincluded. They believe "Economy" should be skipped because it deals with politics, alongwith philosophical chapters such as "Wher...
