In paragraph 31 of “Economy” in the book Walden, by Henry David Thoreau he speaks on an Indian man trying to find a successful way to make a profit. The Indian man has a harsh reaction when a better off white male won’t buy his baskets. Thoreau goes on to explain what the Indian male was thinking, he sees his white neighbor who is a lawyer and better off, he desires that. He starts the business expecting others to buy it since it was his contribution to the society. That didn’t seem to be the case, Thoreau explains “He had not discovered that it was necessary for him to make it worth the other’s while to buy them, or at least make him think that it was so, or to make something else which it would be worth his while to buy.” (Walden, “Economy,” par. 31). Saying that the Indian hadn’t realized that if he’s making something, make it worth someone’s while, or even persuade others to think it’s worth it. The story of the Indian man is an example of an artist at work struggling to please others.
Thoreau says “I too had woven a kind of basket of delicate texture,…” (Walden, “Economy,” par. 31). Thoreau speaks on his own experience of making “baskets”, which is his writings. How his art wasn’t for creative work or gain but creative self-satisfaction. “…and instead of studying how to make it worth men’s while to buy my baskets, I studied rather how to avoid the necessity of selling them.”(Walden, “Economy,” par. 31). We see Thoreau makes the move to experience to theory, that he studied and experience the idea of creative work. He made his writings but then rather than selling them he withheld himself, kept it for his own worth. He came to the conclusion that we should just enjoy the art we have made. As artists we should make for ourselves because of the enjoyment, not to exploit it for others to take, discard or change.
The majority would take this as an analogy on how we shouldn’t work for others or the eye of the beholder. It’s the theory that people should work for themselves and for their own self-confidence. I wonder did Thoreau think about the differences between him and the Indian man. The “baskets” contribute to Thoreau’s best interest, makes him seem like he’s figured out the way of life but only found it from his experience. I’m an artist who has dreams and aspirations but because of my skin color it’s harder to achieve comparing to someone who has more privileges than me. For me to achieve the simplest success, I have to make sure the person who is above me is satisfied so I can move onto the next level. My skill and talent is my art, but in some cases, it’s my only way to deny the path society has set up for me. In this day and age of Thoreau, people of color and people from different cultural background had been stripped from the freedom of being human, having the ability to support themselves or their family. Native Americans were stripped of the land they possessed and put under unfair and unnecessary punishments that put them in a predicament of being dependent. The white male may not be aware that any kind of race adjacent of themselves has become dependent on their goods, opinions and wealth.
Thoreau ends the passage with this question “Why should we exaggerate any one kind at the expense of the others?”(Walden, “Economy,” par. 31). If the majority of the human race had the opportunity and stability as Thoreau did himself, the majority would be able to depend and make for themselves. The question is what if you don’t have those opportunities what happens then? Do we as humans make the decision to make for ourselves and struggle or do for others and survive?