An idealist's concept of a utopia

My coursemates and I have our chances back home, yet we never imagined to catch the World of Tim Burton in Hong Kong. And we would wait for our plane (to Hanoi) the following day. This was Matt's concept of a utopia, where a gap year must be spent somewhere else. We were fortunate to travel this far, where the coursework seemed like planets away. (It was an ocean.) Major decisions could be pondered the following day, but it would be forgotten after a day of sightseeing.

We read (or heard) about the news back home. The great divide was exposed, where inequality led to the people who hear their voices. Sam was indifferent to it, remarking that the likes of Louisa May Alcott have seen it before. Professor Taylor, our instructor in American literature, was impressed at Sam's paper on "Little Women". It wasn't really a nod to strong women, he pointed out. It was rather the author's idea of a utopia. (A warm fire and good in the dining table. A comfortable couch not far away. And loved ones to share it.) This was the sentiment of Alcott's peer, the professor added. I imagined New England to be immune from the effects of the Civil War, even slavery (in the Deep South). It wasn't a coincidence that the Transcendentalists came from this region.

Utopia might be the reason behind Henry David Thoreau's decision to spend his three years at Walden Pond. I would doubt that isolation was the reason behind his decision to go back to the real world. Perhaps the sudden change in the climate, which was brought by the change of the season, burst his bubble. It was a different case with Ralph Waldo Emerson, who ventured into the political arena. He also sailed to Europe. As for Alcott, she had more innocence (and hope) compared to her peers. How would these authors react to Donald Trump's victory? I could imagine them shrugging their shoulders. It had been worse during their lifetime.

I thought I saw a Fruitland

Alcott and her family lived in Fruitland, which influenced her writing career. The professor believed this was a utopian experiment, but it lasted years. The members of this community detested commerce, even forbid the killing of animals. I couldn't imagine how they managed to survive the winters on vegetables and soup, but Alcott envisioned the March sisters during those (warm) moments by the fireplace.

It was getting cold in this part of Hanoi, where Sam was delighted to see the changing of colors of the leaves near Hoan Kiem Lake. Someone from the hostel told us that snow won't fall in this part of the world, but autumn was good enough. It was a sign of change, and it could be interpreted in many ways. An idealist would look at it differently, though. It must be a test of (idealist) values, even a delay of gratification. My coursemate may be wrong, as only a handful could have a chance of observing a foreign environment. A Transcendentalist would struggle to modify those idealist values while tasting spicy food. Matt suggested the Temple of Literature.