Achillean Shores

parallels between the iliad and walden through Stanley Cavell

Authors

Keywords:

Walden, Iliad, Stanley Cavell, perfectionism

Abstract

In this paper, parallels between Homer’s Iliad and Henry David Thoreau’s Walden are presented. It is noted that Thoreu read and incorporated mythological aspects in his writing, among them the homeric poems. This movement allows us to put forth in a comprehension of what Walden’s author understands by “heroic texts” e what is the meaning of this expression and other mythological interpretations in his writing. The present analysis culminates in showing that three aspects are important in the connection of the texts: the metaphor of planting and death, the image of dawn and the process of mourning — aspects worked through the philosophy of Stanley Cavell.

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Published

2024-07-14