Walden Pond

Duration: 600

Year Published: 1970

Creator: Time-Life Multimedia

Complete Record: A dramatization of key passages in Henry David Thoreau’s book entitled Walden, the film introduces students to Thoreau’s cogent social criticism and prepares for reading and class discussion of Thoreau’s philosophy and work. Just as Thoreau did not expect readers to blindly adopt his lifestyle but only evaluate it in terms of their own, the film does not ask students to accept Thoreau’s social or personal solutions, but to use them in clarifying their own values and philosophy. To this end, both the film and the accompanying teaching materials are open-ended. As a naturalist, Thoreau was concerned with the destruction of the environment. As a citizen, he was concerned with the injustice of slavery and the imperialism of the Mexican War. As a philosopher, he was concerned that the doctrines of materialism and progress were enslaving men to too many possessions, trapping them in a life of quiet desperation. In reaction to this, Thoreau decided to do an experiment. Building a simple shack in the woods at nearby Walden Pond, Thoreau set out to discover how far he could simplify his lifestyle and still retain that elusive something that made living worthwhile. Walden Pond is an account of this experience.