Henry David Thoreau & the Jungian Shadow

"We are conscious of an animal in us, which awakens in proportion as our higher nature slumbers" - Henry David Thoreau, Walden

This concept articulated here by Thoreau, although simplistically defined, is extraordinary in its depth and capacity to inform our understanding of Thoreau's experience at Walden pond and, by extension, the nature of the human condition itself. This is because, although pre-dating the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, Thoreau has epitomized one of Jung's core discoveries and theoretical components to the human psyche: the shadow.

In brief, the Jungian shadow refers to the unconscious elements of our personality and individual psychology, often popularized as our 'dark side'. Jung himself wrote that "no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort" and that doing so "involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real". Accordingly, I would argue that it is exactly this notion that is discovered (perhaps inadvertently) by Thoreau. In becoming conscious of "an animal in us", Thoreau learns to integrate the savage elements of his being into his daily life in a manner which invariably facilitates his profound revelations at Walden and often acts as a catalyst for great philosophical insight into a range of issues including; theories on the human's erection of monuments, travel, education and various ideologies of individualism and self-sufficiency.

This is further supported by Jung who writes that, becoming conscious of the shadow is "the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge, and it therefore, as a rule, meets with considerable resistance". Such are the inconceivable similarities between the experiences articulated by Thoreau and the concept of the Jungian shadow that they can be traced together, practically word for word. The introspective and personal nature of Thoreau's quest means that, by definition, his philosophical conclusions and personal intellectual development must be considered as 'self-knowledge', despite the fact that they perhaps hold relevance to the wider society. Furthermore, the idea of this consciousness meeting "with considerable resistance" is absolutely supported when Thoreau writes how he "cannot fish without falling a little in self-respect", with many more quotes from distinct passages acting as a variation on the theme.

If we conclude then, that Thoreau has become conscious of a certain inherent savage element to his nature, his shadow; how then does this inform our interpretation of Walden?

I would simply argue that it imbues the text with an undeniable element of truth. While we might dispute Thoreau's specific claims and conclusions, the Jungian mechanisms by which they were formed and on which he modeled his experience cannot be dismissed or doubted so easily. Jung's shadow, whether or not we are cognizant of its presence, is a defining characteristic of the human condition and our interactions with our own ambiguous consciousness. Indeed, the prevalence of the shadow archetype throughout our modern society and pop-culture is a testimony to its quiet, yet powerful capacity to shape our lives and experiences. It's the reason why Bilbo has to drop his identity as a harmless hobbit and betray his "higher nature" to become a burglar before he can conquer the dragon and steal the gold. It's the reason why James Dean must become a juvenile delinquent before constructing the archetypal Hollywood happy ending in 'Rebel Without a Cause'.

In voluntarily becoming conscious of your shadow, you immediately have a higher respect for yourself because you understand that you are capable of being a monster. It is exactly these ideas that are reached by Thoreau during his time at Walden and this should quickly enhance our understanding of his experience and by extension, the text that constitutes its product.




















Animalistic quote

- Thoreau has interacted with the primitive or savage elements of his human condition by doing what he has done at Walden.

- However, he has used this reversion as a catalyst for great philosophical insight into a range of issues (monuments, travel, education)

- This epitomizes the Carl Jung's idea of the shadow, even though it pre-dates it.

- in Pop culture - Bilbo becoms burglar to fight dragon