Abstract

Henry David Thoreau’s Walden is a famous work in the history of American nature writing. In 1985, Walden was at the top of the list of the “ten books shaped American personality” in American Heritage. In this book, Thoreau puts forward the idea of revering life and protecting wilderness. It is a practical manual to teach people how to live a happy and simple life. 

This paper analyzes the author’s ecological consciousness in the novel from the perspective of ecological criticism. It includes five parts: the first chapter is the introduction to the writer, the novel and literature review; the second chapter is a brief introduction of Eco-criticism; the third chapter focuses on the author’s attitude towards the human desires and the destructive force of industrial civilization, and reflects the author’s query of Anthropocentrism; the fourth chapter focuses on the author’s idea of living a simple and harmonious life with nature, and reflects the author’s admiration for Eco-centrism; the fifth chapter exports the importance of Thoreau’s ecological consciousness in building a harmonious society.

Key words: Thoreau; Walden; Eco-criticism; Anthropocentrism; Eco-centrism

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 A brief introduction of Eco-criticism-2

3 Querying the Anthropocentrism-4

3.1 Criticizing the greed of human-4

3.1.1Greed leads to human plundering nature-4

3.1.2 Greed leads to human losing purity-5

3.2 Criticizing the destructive force of industrialization-6

4 Advocating the Eco-centrism-8

4.1 Living a simple life-8

4.2 Living in harmony with nature-9

5 Conclusion-11

References