Discussion Topic

Thoreau's "Quiet Desperation" in Walden

Summary:

In Walden, Henry David Thoreau's concept of "quiet desperation" refers to the hollow, inauthentic lives many people lead, filled with conformity and superficial pursuits. Thoreau suggests that people are trapped in a cycle of work and trivial amusements, preventing true fulfillment. This inner turmoil, unacknowledged even to themselves, stems from misplaced priorities and a cluttered life. Thoreau advocates for simplicity and self-expression as a path to genuine happiness, contrasting this with the desperation of conformist living.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What does Thoreau mean by "quiet desperation" in Walden?

In a famous paragraph in Walden, Henry David Thoreau asserts the following:

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

Thoreau sees most men as leading hollow, inauthentic lives spent in pursuit of wealth or ambition or perhaps merely survival. These people may sometimes go to the countryside and may even visit the same woods where he is staying, but they rush to and from these tranquil places, filling them with noise and anxiety while they remain. They go shooting, killing animals rather than looking at them and appreciating their beauty, or amuse themselves with other pastimes in which there is no particular pleasure but which merely provide a brief respite from the work to which they must always return.

The mental and emotional state engendered by such a frenetic and empty lifestyle is what Thoreau means by "quiet desperation." The men who live these lives do not dare cry out in pain, or beat their breasts, or weep like the tragic hero at the end of a Greek play. Their silence and repression adds to their desperation, since they never admit to anyone how tragically unfulfilling their lives are. Perhaps they will not even admit this to themselves, which hinders the possibility of escape even further. Thoreau contrasts this inner turmoil suffered in silence with the truly quiet mind, which is nourished by serene contemplation in the midst of nature.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

How does Thoreau support the generalization that "The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation" in Walden?

I think that one way Thoreau brings out how the mass of human beings live lives of quiet desperation is to display both the attributes of living in accordance to individual voice and the detriments of conformity.  In detailing the battle of the ants, for example, Thoreau suggests that individuals who live a life of conformist quiet desperation will invariably live a life that is devoid of the true meaning in human beings.  It is a life in which individuals have little voice, following preordained ideas in order to meet some standard of conformity.  When examining this in the story of the ants, one sees the desperation evident in a life of conformity.  At the same time, Thoreau has little problem in using his own seclusion as an example of a life that lacks quiet desperation.  Thoreau is quite open about the idea of a life in which one lives for themselves.  Thoreau suggests that this brings him more happiness than living with individuals and having to conform to their own trains of thought.  In detailing examples that both display the desperation intrinsic to conformity and the lack of this in the life dedicated to individual self- expression, Thoreau is able to illustrate his premise about individuals and their relationship to a life of quiet desperation.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Why do men live a "quiet desperation" life according to Walden by Henry David Thoreau?

Thoreau believes that many people have their priorities in the wrong places; he feels that our lives are cluttered with too many things, "frittered away be details" and that we should "simplify, simplify, simplify!"  Along these lines, because many people's priorities are out of whack, they are unhappy, but in such a way that they aren't even really sure why or how.  So, they are quietly surviving each day, desparately searching for happiness, but not finding it.  The unhappiness is subtle and non-obvious (hence, quiet), and their searching for happiness comes in a desparate search for something to fulfill their lives.  Think of how many people you know that move from one thing to the next, constantly staying busy, constantly filling their lives with new things; perhaps, Thoreau is saying, that is because they are quietly desparate for a fulfillment that is missing in their lives.  Thoreau's solutions are pretty extreme; he feels that stripping our lives of all unecessary activity, comfort and privelege is the way to be fulfilled.  He feels it is the only way to "live deep and suck the marrow out of life," and that it will help us to not be so quietly desparate about our situations.

Those are just a few thoughts; I hope that they help.  I provided links below that lead to some great discussions of "Walden" and the themes contained therein.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial