Walden Isolation Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Essay.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Nowadays the host does not admit you to his hearth, but has got the mason to build one for yourself somewhere in his alley, and hospitality is the art of keeping you at the greatest distance. (House-Warming.7)

Thoreau thinks the loneliest people are those immersed in society. That big house isn't a sign of prosperity; instead, it's built to keep the guests at a distance from the host. Thoreau would have probably enjoyed Apples to Apples or Cranium – anything to keep the party interactions going strong.

Quote #8

For human society I was obliged to conjure up the former occupants of these woods. (Former Inhabitants.1)

Thoreau is at his most alone in the winter (and not only because he doesn't have snow tires to get anywhere). This gives him a chance to ruminate on the other past inhabitants of the area

Quote #9

When the snow lay deepest, no wanderer ventured near my house for a week or a fortnight at a time, but there I lived as snug as a meadow mouse (Former Inhabitants.16)

Animal comparisons such as this emphasize how in tune with nature Thoreau has become.