The Ant War

The Ant War

maxferrin 06 Dec 2009 07:43

In "Brute Neighbors," Thoreau provides an extremely detailed account of the battle between two colonies of ants that he witnesses. What do you believe was his purpose in including this? Is he perhaps making a social commentary on the world he, along with all transcendentalists, are trying to break away from? Or since this fight was an entirely natural event, could Thoreau be embracing the inclination toward physical conflict in nature and heaven? These are just a few ideas… feel free to expand on them or offer another purpose for the passage.

Re: The Ant War

Xx Christopher 07 Dec 2009 06:57

I think Thoreau included the ant wars as a commentary on the so called "civilized" human race. He compares the violent struggle between the ants to that of human battles showing that humans may not be different then these "brute neighbors" he sees at Walden. It may be both an observation and a criticism on society as a whole.

Re: The Ant War

maxinestern 07 Dec 2009 22:15

i thought that the ant war was really cool because of the fact that he described it in such detail. Also, the fact that the ant war was a foil for an actual war, and the mannerisms of the ants that portray them as human like!

Re: The Ant War

sherongadonga 07 Dec 2009 23:59

I feel like Thoreau talked about the ant wars to get across to readers his own observations of war. I seem to remember implications of mindless movement/actions and sacrificing oneself for the good of the army, which seems more anti-transcendental that transcendental because Emerson and Thoreau were all about working for the individual. I believe there was also mention of a single commander essentially sentencing large groups of people to their own deaths, which also seems to go against Thoreau's own morals.

Re: The Ant War

Jennifer Maurer 08 Dec 2009 07:04

Thoreau described the ant war to criticize how humans act during war. The ants were much more patriotic than humans when in battle: "there is not the fight recorded in Concord history, at least, if in the history of America, that will bear a moment's comparison with this, whether for the numbers engaged in it, or for the patriotism and heroism displayed" (Thoreau 216). The ants were martyrs, dedicated to their cause, who fought for honor.

Re: The Ant War

Byus 08 Dec 2009 17:02

Doesn't this seem almost anti-transcendental to you? That we are a reflection of nature, even if that reflection is "bad"?