Since he got such a great fame, his family background plays an important role。 Although in his early life, the whole family suffered financial hardships, his parents were still optimistic, loving their life very much, tried to help people in need, took an active part in social organization and movements。 The goodness, bravery and daring to say and doing helped Thoreau build up many good qualities。 And that is one of the reasons why he always tried to find a pure land to live a simple life。

Despite his childhood, the later experience also had a great influence。 Life in Harvard is an important experience for Thoreau’s seclusion-- doing everything by his own hands。

From 1841-1843, Thoreau lived with Emerson, and the influence from Emerson really changed his writing a lot。 During those years, he had made a great contribution to American literature-- A Week on the Concord and Merrimac Rivers (1849), Civil Disobedience (1849), Slavery in Massachusetts (1854), Walden (1854), A Plea for Captain John Brown (1860), Excursions (1863), The Maine Woods (1864), Cape Cod (1865), etc。

Among all these literature, Walden is no doubt as a great masterpiece, and it is even well-known in China。 Writing Walden may not be a accident。 

In 1845, Thoreau came to the Walden Pond and began his two- year residence in a cabin beside it。 For he wishing “to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life”(Thoreau, 2016:93)。 Year by year, many poets, philosophers tried their best to find the very core of life and the universe。 But what really like Thoreau said:”I would not have anyone adopt my mode of living; each should find out his own way, not his neighbor’s or his parents。”(Thoreau,2016:1) -- Life can not be copied。 But life nearby the Walden Pond is really a journal of looking for the “true meaning of life” and worth drawing lesson from。

Just because of this, many Chinese litterateurs and writers found that life nearby Walden Pond is similar to many Chinese hermits’。 Living far away from the city, do everything by themselves。 Every morning, getting up with the first sun ray shines into the room, feeling silent and fragrant。 Putting on the linen clothes that made by hands, having the grains planted by themselves。 That is the most original and self-sufficient life-- When hungry, picking the fruits from the trees; when thirsty, drinking the water from the spring。 Every year, they can enjoy the beautiful flowers which can not be seen in the city; after harvesting, they may stop working and warming themselves by a fire and reading a book they like。 Being a hermit means don not need to worry about job, salary, chummage, even health。 All the things can be controlled。 Just like once Tao Yuanming described his life: While picking asters neath the Eastern fence, my gaze upon the Southern mountain rests。

With the quick development of the whole society, people more and more likely to chase economic benefits, forget the real life a man can have。 The precious core of traditional Chinese philosophy getting far away from the life。文献综述

In my opinion, the most successful aspect is that Thoreau links his literature work to the real nature。 His works reflect the essential pursuit of human beings。 Human beings come from nature and inevitably should go back to nature。 So Thoreau said:”Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind。 With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meagre life than the poor。” (Thoreau,2016:14-15)There is no magnificence in real life, the glorious ornament is just the jacket of hedonism which is inundated with our life。 As time passed, people could not recognize what is real life and what is not。 A further study of hermit thoughts in Walden, is not only a process of study Thoreau’s life, but also a journey to find the similarities between western and eastern culture, to find the true meaning of “hermit” and “life”, and finally help people living in an ideal life。