The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail, By Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the famous maxims by Ralph Waldo Emerson is "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." In essence, it explains that there is nothing that is more important than what you choose to do yourself. The "integrity" described in this maxim refers to each person's thoughts on what is right to do. The universal truth revealed by Emerson is that the only factor inhibiting the human potential is the person's own choices, which is the integrity of the mind. The only thing stopping man from achievement is himself. This feeds into the broader view that everyone should be able to make their own choices to succeed in life.

In the play "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, there are numerous applications

Like Emerson's maxim, Henry reflects off the idea that every single person should have the freedom to dictate what they do, so that they can succeed. Henry tells Ellen to take notes in her notebook only if she wants to, "not because [he] is doing it or because [he] told [her] to. (29)" The freedom of choice exhibited by Henry to Ellen shows the extent to which he lives out Emerson's maxim.

This maxim by Emerson is also applicable in the modern day world. The situation of having parents that dictate over the children's lives has been brought up numerous times not only from what I hear but also shown in the media. Many students complain that their parents have a set goal or major for them to follow, with high expectations and standards such as sending their child to become a doctor or lawyer. According to Emerson's maxim, that would set the child away from success, as his maxim preaches that success can come only when one makes choices on their own. Society itself has started to promote having children and students choose their own path and be independent. For example, the variety of classes and programs offered in high schools around the nation accommodate and cater

The media and public school system portray Emerson's maxims in a modern way by encouraging students to go down a path that interests them, as a result of their own choice.

A connection with this maxim can be made to the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the novel, Hester Prynne lives with a society that is against her and despises her for her commitment of adultery. She is shunned by all the people, from the elderly to even the young kids making fun of her.

Even with threats by those people, Hester works against the odds and makes an effort to stay and even charitably helping the less fortunate in her community. Through this, she exhibits the tenets of

Emerson's maxim by choosing to stay in the town through her own will and determination. She disregards the hostile environment that is against her and breaks through the only boundary that separates her from success: herself. With her own decision and "integrity of [her] own mind", factors such as the harsh townspeople are "at last sacred" or important at all. Through her