Monday

Please turn in your AP Language essays.  We need to look at the next chapter but also the following notes.   We also need to discuss ExCom topics.

Then, there is a transition to "ANIMALS".  Who are the brutes in this chapter?
There is a famous "War of the Ants" scene in this chapter.  Thoreau discusses how this war has been recorded by many writers (hyperbole) and how this war has been going on since the beginning of time.  Thoreau is unsure of what they are fighting about, but the war is compared to classical literature (bringing in the human aspect), and it is a war between Ant Races.  This is a way for Thoreau to discuss WAR in general, but it is also a subtle allusion to the Mexican-American War.

Chapter 13: House Warming
Fall.  You should be thinking about the cycle of life.  Thoreau prepares for Winter, building a chimney, plastering his cabin (self-reliance).  The Pond freezes and Thoreau is able to look through the ice itself and see the bottom of the pond (Think Pond as the Eye of the World here).

Chapter 14: Former Inhabitants and Winter Neighbors
Remember chapters contrast with the previous chapter.

"For human society, I was obliged to conjure up the former occupants of these woods" (246).

"...pranks of a demon not distinctly named in old mythology, who has acted a prominent and astounding part in our New England lief and deserves...to have his story told."

Like "Brute Neighbors" Thoreau alludes to problems in humans.  He receives few visitors in winter, but the woods are filled with ghosts of former inhabitants and he tells some of their stories.  Micah related this to Chief Seattle and how the past is always with use.

"#44: "Digging one day for fish-worms I discovered the ground-nut ..." p. 230

This is a similar sentiment to how he found arrow-heads in the earth where he was planting his crops. There is still evidence of the people before us, the natives, even after we had driven them off many, many years ago. They are still here. It can also tie back around to what Chief Seattle was saying, about how you can't get all the dead out of the hills. They will always be there."

Note, the demon he speaks of is Rum.  Think about "Civil Disobedience".  Rum was made in New England from molasses shipped from the West Indies.  This rum was then sent to West Africa to purchase slaves for the West Indies.  So even abolitionists in New England profited off the slave trade.

Many of the former inhabitants that Thoreau mentions are either former or run-away slaves, or alcoholics of some sort.  What's the connection?

Chapter 15: Winter Animals

Walking on the frozen pond.  Listening to and visiting animals (contrast with previous chapter).  There is a great story here about the Hunter who "lost his dog but found a man".  Think about Thoreau's "pure" definition of man.  The Hunter keeps asking Thoreau, while asking about his dog, "What are you doing here?"  This seems to be an important point or idea?  The hunter (remember Thoreau's discussion of hunting) finds Thoreau - the hermit, the poet...

Chapter 16: The Pond in Winter
You really need to connect this with the chapter "Ponds" or the pond in summer.  There is one of the greatest ice cutting scenes in all of literature.  Thoreau describes the ice in different colors - emerald (think the importance here), blue.  The ice is apparently transported all over.  Thoreau talks about being able to look into the pond and see his soul, and then at then end of the chapter connects (through some strange imagination) Walden pond with rivers/waters all over the world.  All people drink from his "well" and all water is connected.  He connects Ganges, Atlantis, the Persian Gulf - and the past, present and future in water.

Really consider the spiritual nature of water here.   

Chapter 17 Spring
Rebirth.

"And so the seasons went rolling on into summer, as one rambles into higher and higher grass."

Note, man-nature-God are all connected, so how do you make sense of the quote?

"I finally left Walden September 6th, 1847."  (Near the end of summer). 

Chapter 18 Conclusion - which is the conclusion of the book.  Think about how he wraps up his themes and returns to the beginning?