Walden serves as a written account of the two years Henry David Thoreau lived alone in a cabin in Concord, Massachusetts. He built this cabin, grew vegetables, and had transcendental experiences. He uses these to examine the fundamental elements of identity. Thoreau builds himself a small cabin on Walden Pond. He doesn't own the land, but has permission from the owner to live there. He builds the cabin for just $28. To sustain himself, Thoreau grows and sells vegetables. His diet mainly consists of rye bread, salt pork, rice, and potatoes. In solitude, Thoreau is free to think about the nature of human consciousness. When he leaves Walden Pond, he's satisfied that he has proven human beings can live simply and without the trappings of the modern world.