Thoreau: A Naturalist's Liberty

John Hildebidle

Published by Harvard University Press 1983

Thoreau

A Naturalist's Liberty

John Hildebidle

https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674494336

Overview
Contents

About this book

John Hildebidle reintroduces us to Thoreau as natural history writer, bringing fresh insight to Walden, Cape Cod, and the later nature pieces--both published and unpublished--and the tradition of nature writing as well.

Hildebidle examines Thoreau's attitude toward history and science, demonstrating that he manages to use "secondhand" material while insisting that only firsthand experience has any value. Although sharing the naturalist's eye and methods, Thoreau never rests in the role of observer and collector. Hildebidle sees Thoreau as representative of a long-standing American tendency simultaneously to reject and to use the past, and shows how, as naturalist, he brought together science and literary aims. This gracefully written analysis of Thoreau's thinking and style will well serve all readers of Thoreau and those interested in natural history as a genre.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	vii
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
INTRODUCTION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. PRESENTING THE PAST: THOREAU AND HISTORY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	7
2. CIRCUMSTANCES LAID TOGETHER: THE METHOD OF THE NATURAL HISTORIAN Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	24
3. NOMEN GENERALISSIMUM: THE GENRE OF NATURAL HISTORY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	52
4. SCHOOLING THE EYE AND HAND: THE LATE NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
5. NATURALIZING EDEN: SCIENCE AND SAINTHOOD IN WALDEN Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	97
6. SUSPECTABLE REPETITIONS: CAPE COD Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	126
CONCLUSION: SORTING THE RUBBLE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	147
ABBREVIATIONS OF SOURCES NOTES INDEX
Abbreviations of Sources Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	154
NOTES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	155
INDEX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	173

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Edition: Reprint 2014
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Front matter: 8
- Main content: 174
Keywords: LITERARY CRITICISM / American / General; Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862 -- Knowledge -- Natural history.; LITERARY CRITICISM / General; Natural history.

eBook

Published: October 1, 2013
ISBN: 9780674494336

Hardcover

Published: February 5, 1983
ISBN: 9780674494312