“I intend to build me a house which will surpass any on the main street in Concord in grandeur and luxury, as soon as it pleases me as much and will cost me no more than my present one.”
-Page 884
I really liked this passage—which happens to be its own paragraph—because it really showcases Thoreau’s rather snarky tone. So far he has introduced a lot of new and unconventional (maybe even radical?) ideas and insights, but he doesn’t seem in the least bit worried about how others will react to them. While his central argument that society adorns itself in unnecessary ways while neglecting the aspects of life that are truly important is admirable, his confidence and originality is all the more admirable. The fact that he makes himself (or the “I”) so present and prominent in his writing contributes to his confidence—he’s not afraid of how people react to his ideas and he isn’t afraid to own them; he isn’t afraid to be a little snarky. The fact this his voice is so prominent and confident could tell us a lot about his character. Maybe he was a stuck up, or maybe he knows that he needs to be confident because his ideas are so unconventional and demonstrating confidence is the only way he can get people to take him seriously.
This dude is definitely a little snarky and sarcastic. I like it. Plus, the reading doesn't really get boring because you never know what kind of snide comment he's going to make next! But I also agree that his confidence/snarkiness is necessary in order for people to actually listen to what he has to say since his ideas are so out of the ordinary.
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