Compare And Contrast Individualism And Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is an ideology based on nonconformity and individualism with a strong focus on nature, self-realization, and social reform that emerged during the 1820-30s in North America. There were two key writings in the Transcendentalist movement: Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance”. “Civil Disobedience” was a writing that urged people to disregard any laws that they felt were innately unjust. “Self Reliance” was a literary piece that argued the value of nonconformity and individualism in the context of a homologous society. “Lean On Me” is a theatrical piece that follows the story of Joe Clark, a principal and former teacher, and his attempt to save Eastside High--a decrepit, declining

In “Lean On Me”, Joe Clark constantly strives to optimize Eastside High in ways such as improving the school environment or his individual consultations with students. While his attempts to improve the conditions of Eastside High are effective, his methods are not favored, as he is constantly facing criticism from other officials and school board members. Though Clark’s actions seemed malicious in intent to most, they were immensely beneficial for the school in reality. This relates strongly to the concept of being misunderstood, as described in Emerson’s “Self Reliance”: “Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton… To be great is to be misunderstood” (366). In essence, this indicates that you shouldn’t worry about how people view your actions, for many of the great thinkers throughout history were misunderstood and thought to be wrong. In the same way, many of the administrators that were against Clark’s actions were not understanding of his methods—which had the students’ best interests in mind rather than the administration’s. In contrast to the administration, the students of Eastside High had developed a great amount of respect for Clark. In “Lean On Me”, Joe Clark talks personally to Kaneesha’s mother to get her help through a struggle with abandoning her

His brave disregard of the accepted procedures and complacency of the leaderships before him reveal his individualist ideals, and his use of civil disobedience in favor of the students’ well-being and his steadfast attitude towards facing authority provides insight into Clark’s ability to stand up for what he believes is right. All aspects considered, many things can be learned from Emerson, Thoreau, and Clark respectively: be unwavering when standing up for what you believe is right, be considerate with everyone and see them for who they are and not just what they surround themselves with, and always be yourself and do as you please, regardless of popular