PracicalSignificanceinWalden《瓦尔登湖》中的现实意义_开题报告

一、Literature Review：

（一）The Influence on China

Walden is an important cultural reference in the process of Chinese contemporary ecological prose development. It stimulates the receivers into updating their concept, and provides the content of new enlightenment and art inspiration, so as to promote the communication and development between different literatures. 

At present China is in the historical period of modern society transition, industrial civilization caused great damage to the natural environment. With similar historical period and cultural context that Chinese ecological writers have a special kindness for Walden, which is the basis of cultural exchange and sprit conversation. With the introduction of Walden causes writers to realize that the nature is not a prostrate object at the foot of human beings, but has its independent existence value. Writers start to have a transcendence view of natural things, making efforts to advocate closeness and harmony between human and nature. It inspires the ecological ideology of writers, and the nature complex in the cultural tradition make conversion to the direction of ecological culture. Thus it greatly enriches ideological content and artistic content of the contemporary prose.

Chinese ecological prose has a significant change compared with the previous ones, this change is mainly reflected in three aspects: First, the writers not only have the exquisite depict for natural phenomenon, but also experienced a kind of harmony between man and nature. Under the communication with nature, they realized the essence of nature, and feel people should be close to nature, observe nature, make efforts to have an organic whole with nature.

Second, the contemporary ecological prose restored the organic of language. By presenting the essence of nature, maintaining the closeness between man and nature. This language keeps the exchanges and communication between both sides of man and nature is not empty and abstract, but is the organic language permeated with the fragrance, and to express the things with the help of nature. This text itself seemed to be alive, full of texture, and ideas are not straight but to express with the help of natural things. So as to help more people understand and accept, and embody people are harmony with everything in the spirit of the world. Local ecological writers aware the language plays a role with nature and human beings. 

Third, the local ecological writers broke the limitation of anthropocentrism, and take the ecological doctrine as a starting point to include other life of nature in ethical view scope. Writers believe that the final correction, profound strength hidden in the soul of people. Only on the basis of respect for the value of nature, human beings can really beyond their limits, and to a kind of ecological ethics.

Walden is the bridge of communication between Chinese and Western culture. Chinese writer’s spirit deeply precipitate in the traditional culture and these factors are gradually activated under the stimulus of foreign culture. That the existences of the traditional culture, making the contemporary writers have a spirit fit to Walden, and inspire and promote the awakening of the ecological consciousness in the contemporary prose creation and formation. Chinese contemporary prose creation of ecological show that the input of different culture for Chinese writers to expand their horizons and performance has played a beneficial enlightenment function.

（二）The Influence on America

In the 19th century, American transcendentalism theory advocates intuition, emphasizing that nature is God's revelation to man. People can know the truth from nature and get the unity of spiritual and moral. Walden propagates the beauty of nature, criticizes the industrial civilization, calling for people to back to nature, looking for the meaning of life, enrich the spiritual world of human beings. Thoreau's ideas eventually break through the limitations of the transcendentalism opening a precedent for American literature of natural and ecological. Thoreau created Walden in the mid-19th century, which is the development period of industrialization in the United States. He keenly felt the modern civilization attack the natural ecology, and advocated back to nature with simple life.

From the perspective of philosophy, transcendentalism advocated there is a kind of ideal spirit entity in the world, which beyond science and experience, and can be obtained through intuition. That is to say, the transcendentalism thinks feeling and instinct above reason. They are not bound by the provisions of the secular and advocate the pursuit of freedom. The representative and pioneer Emerson is Thoreau's teacher and friend. Thoreau went after Emerson, making the further development of the transcendentalism. With the love to nature, thus pursue plain life. He thought all living beings are born equal; people should get along well with trees and flowers, birds and animals as friends, and live in harmony.

Thoreau is positive, and curious about everything in the nature. His idea of perfect life is the result of his rich thought rather than material possession. Close to nature, perception of life, pursue equality are Thoreau's main content of the transcendentalism view. Therefore, Thoreau's works are full of the beauty of the nature, which let the readers feel the essence of life and appreciate the harmony of man and nature, then get a sublimation of life. This is also the reason that his prose often express his emotion with the advantage of scene. He also expresses the love and his feelings to nature with gorgeous words.

He only observed the nature of things, do not mind complex relationship, and criticize the current social evils sharply. Therefore, his articles are persuasive and provocative, which has a direct impact to Gandhi and American civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Also it laid the foundation for the formation of the contemporary American spirit. The transcendentalism in Walden, emphasis on the American spirit of freedom, equality, human rights, and independent thought.

Literature reflects social and political, Thoreau’s transcendentalism came out after colonial rule in the United States. At that time, the rapid development of economy makes people have more liberal ideas, but at the moment, the north bourgeoisie and the stubborn southern planters became more irreconcilable. The emergence of the romantic literature reflects the desire for seeking freedom and equality. Walden is further added to the yearning for freedom, it reflects that the author is dissatisfied with the over-development and profit-oriented society.

二、Thesis Outline

1. Introduction

1.1. An overview of Thoreau 

1.2. Thoreau’s involvement in American Transcendentalism

2. Economy

2.1. Substantial Desire

2.2. Back to Nature

2.3. Essence of Life

3. Nature Civilization 

3.1. The Intrinsic Value of Nature

3.2. Respect for Wildness 

4. Human Civilization

4.1 The Simple Life 

4.2 The Solitary Life

5. Conclusion

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