When Thoreau demonstrates to the reader that they should cultivate the tree which bears fruit in your soil, Thoreau is advising that one should commit and follow through with ideas and hopes that will result in success for themselves. Ones tree represents a lifetime, and depending on how one cultivates their tree will determine the type of fruit, in this case success, that is produced, and where that success falls; preferably on your soil, not on anyone else’s. This lesson is expressing Thoreau’s idea of being more occupied with one’s success over the success of others. As well as cultivating one’s life according to what amount and type of success one prefers, Thoreau suggests that your parent’s tree, of life, can be observed and analyzed so that you can learn from their mistakes. In both passages, knowledge is a prevalent theme that constantly revolves around the individual’s ability to form their life and their amount of success.…show more content… In my family, hard work is a particular trait that is prevalent in our family. My grandfather, a Portuguese immigrant, had moved here with his family when my mother was about a year old. He had spoken absolutely no english and had the minimal education of just fifth grade. Working hard was not just a good trait for him to have, but instead, a trait that was necessity of survival. He worked 3 jobs for three years and put both of his daughters through Catholic private schooling in hopes of them achieving a better education. He now lives part time in America, and part time in Portugal. He is probably the most influential human being to me and all my life has taught me, like Thoreau to cultivate my life based on my interests as well as knowing what my values
