Being Henry David Reflection - 841 Words

One is always better alive; being dead will not solve problems. The fictional book Being Henry David backs up this theme. One day Hank wakes up in Penn Station to find out that he has lost his memory and the only trace left behind is a copy of Walden. He goes to Concord to hopefully find his identity and his past life. In Concord, he builds friendships with people like Thomas and Hailey and he starts to fit together his previous life. With all the guilt Hank has he tries to commit suicide on many occasions. He does this because he believes that if he dies then he does not have to face any of his guilt or problems. The most meaningful lesson to Hank is that it is always better to be alive; being dead will not solve any problems. Hank is†¦show more content†¦But Hank realizes that he has a family and he can’t just commit suicide and forget about his problems. Suicide will not fix any of Hank’s problems. Hank is on a journey up Mount Katahdin and he decides to take the knife edge trail because it is physically challenging. However, Hank finds himself holding onto a rock and deciding if he should take his own life. He encounters the voices of Henry David Thoreau before he lets go of the rock and falls to his death. Henry tells Hank he shouldn’t commit suicide. Slowly but surely, Hank starts to buy into the words of Henry David Thoreau. Hank is too afraid to face his problems. But Henry’s words aren’t convincing at first to Hank but slowly Hank starts to buy in to what Henry is saying. â€Å"A new realization breaks over me. Truth is, I don’t have to go home. Don’t have to face my parents. Don’t have to feel pain anymore. Don’t have to face my parents. Don’t have to feel pain anymore. All I have to do is let go of this rock. Stand up, throw my arms out to the sky, and let the wind take me. This, here and now, could be my fate. This would be a clean ending to my useless life. A good way to die. Slowly I peel shaking fingers off the rock, imagine the release as I let the wind shove me off the mountain, imagine falling like flying, sweet relief. I tense the burning muscles of my legs, ready to stand. To surrender. No, Danny. A voice rides the wind I lift my head up and squint against the wind and rain, somehowShow MoreRelatedHenry David Thoreau And Chris Mccandless Transcendentalism1618 Words   |  7 PagesWhy is solitude looked down on society? It should be advised by people to start engaging in the concept of solitude. Henry Dav id Thoreau and Chris McCandless were both transcendentalism that believes in the key fundamental idea that the human body should partake in such as solitude. Henry Thoreau was a transcendentalist that practiced the form of solitude throughout his life. He left society and moved into the woods to be removed from the confines of society. 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