Walden: The True Meaning

Walden gives us a glimpse into the life and thoughts of Henry Thoreau, in which, he describes his meaningful time at Walden Pond.

However, there is some speculation on where the purpose of existence can be found in the book.

Thoreau meant for the readers to open their minds. If we take our time to be aware and enjoy the small details within life, our lives will be more enriching.

For example, in The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America, Leo Marx writes Thoreau

is clear…about the location of [ultimate] meaning and value”: “He is saying that it does not reside in the natural facts or in social institutions or in anything ‘out there,’ but in consciousness. It is the product of imaginative perception, of the analogy-perceiving, metaphor-making, mythopoeic power of the human mind.¹

The Moviegoer: An Analysis of the Search

In the epilogue of The Moviegoer, Binx concludes to the reader that he does not have much to say on the topic of his “search”.

The search for meaning was an important part of the novel. Throughout it, he consistently tries to escape falling into a trap of malaise.To abandon the search means that something has changed within him.

However, what has changed? Did he fail to find meaning in his life? Was he successful in his endeavors?