Comparing Ideology in Emerson's Self Reliance and Catcher in the Rye

823 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Emerson self-reliance ideology

Non-conformist Ideology in Emerson's Self Reliance and Catcher in the Rye Human beings all around the world are different in many ways. They all have their unique and physical characteristics, as well as different personalities. They each also have different ideas and thoughts on different topics. America is made up of a great amount of diverse people with diverse, even conflicting opinions and ideas. Diversity is a major component of the foundation of our country. The cliché of American as a salad bowl is extremely true. Every person is different and every person in his or her own way makes up a small part of America. Without the diversity of ideas and beliefs of Americans, the nation would not be nearly as successful as we are. A major similarity between Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self Reliance and J.D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is a non-conformist ideology that both exhibit, and the idea that one should choose their own individuality above confomity. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye portrays Holden as a character who views conformity as evil. Conformist is a word associated with people who dismiss their own ideas and opinions and act the way most others do. In doing so, they believe others will respect them more because they are more like the majority of the population, Holden saw all those who tried to conform to society as `phonies'. He stated, "At the end of the first act, we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette. What a deal that was. You never saw so many phonies in all your life, everybody smoking their ears off and talking about the play so that everybody could hear how sharp they were." (Salinger 126) Almost everyone in the novel acted as phonies according to Holde... ... middle of paper ... ...his own mind. No one should be afraid of what society believes they are or what they believe in. One should decide what is good for him/her, not act according to what humanity as a whole believes is good for him/her. The roles of diversity and uniqueness are a crucial part of society today. Without these qualities being enforced into the American character, people won't produce thoughtful ideas that could help shape America. Both authors illustrate the evil effect of conformity in society and support how one should be self reliant, not phony, and confident in their own beliefs and ideas. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph. "Self-Reliance." The American Tradition in Literature. Eighth Edition. Ed. George Perkins. New York. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991.

Show More
Related

  • Does Benjamin Anstas Make About Ralph Waldo Emerson Self Reliance

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    I agree with the statement Benjamin Anastas makes about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “self-reliance” of how it is “the most pernicious piece of literature in the American canon” (Anastas 602-603). One reason why I agree with Anastas is that Emerson believes the people are timid and apologetic and do not have opinions of their own. Another reason why I stand alongside Anastas is that Emerson thinks people are afraid of each other and the truth(s) that others have are but quotes from a saint or sage. My final reason that I believe Anastas is correct is due to Emerson believing our society does not gain anything new that makes life worth living.

    Read More

  • Societal and Individual Interdependency in Salinger's Catcher in the Rye

    2001 Words  | 5 Pages

    In a perfect world, everyone would be happy with the way they are and everyone would accept the differences of others. Unfortunately, the world we live in is not perfect and not everyone accepts who they are . Is there a reason why people cannot be content with their lives or with the differences of other people? The answer is yes, and the reason for the discontent is society. With society telling the masses what is, and is not acceptable, it is no wonder that people seem “lost”, and are desperately searching out their place in the sun. This search for identity seems to be the case in JD Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Through settings in the novel and symbolism, Salinger illustrates that while the main character, Holden Caulfield, needs the support of the environment around him, the environment also needs Holden as a person. Holden Caulfield is out of place in any environment in which he is placed. At Pencey, his school, Holden gets excluded from the activities of his classmates. At the very beginning of the novel, Holden becomes expelled because his grades are not up to Pencey’s standards and also because he does not feel like he belongs there. Holden separates himself from his classmates for the most part by not becoming involved in the school. Although Holden is the equipment manager of the fencing team, he distances himself from his companions by losing the equipment, showing that he does not fit in, and he really does not want to. As he reflects back on his final day at Pencey he says: “ They kicked me out. ...I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself at all. They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself...but I didn’t do it” (Salinger 4). The school is throwing Holden out because he is not what they want to represent to potential students. They want to show examples of fine, upstanding young men, instead of giving off the image of the failing, confused young man. Salinger uses Pencey as a mock society of some sorts. Holden does not fit in at Pencey, and he most definitely does not fit in as seen in the later settings of the novel. A second example of Holden’s isolation from his classmates can also be seen when he stands alone on the top of the hill during the “big game”.

    Read More

  • The Theme of Hypocrisy in The Catcher In The Rye

    499 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Theme of Hypocrisy in The Catcher In The Rye & nbsp; & nbsp; In the novel The Catcher In The Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield views his surroundings with hypocrisy and contempt in an attempt to avoid the corruption of adulthood. Holden places himself above the crowd because he believes everyone acts phony. In the process, Caulfield reveals his true problem: his refusal to change. & nbsp; Holden fears adulthood because it brings responsibilities and trouble. He believes all adults possess an aurora of "phoniness."

    Read More

  • The Phony Theme of The Catcher In The Rye

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    In life there comes a time when everyone thinks that they are surrounded by phoniness. This often happens during the teen years when the person is trying to find a sense of direction. Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, "The Catcher In The Rye." Holden has recently been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decides to start his Christmas recess early and head out to New York. While in New York Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden is surrounded by phoniness because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects.

    Read More

  • Essay On Holden Caulfield Fit Into Society

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    A human society is often described as a group of people involved in persistent personal relationships, or as a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or social territory. People tend to believe that doing what everyone else does, is the only correct path for life. If someone dares to break the pattern, does what he wants, or wears different clothes from what everybody else wear, he would frequently be seen as a strange or weird person. This is not it, every little thing someone does that differs from what it is “normal”, is seen as bad or bizarre. Holden Caulfield, of “Catcher in the Rye” is a character who stands out from common people. Holden doesn’t believe that he needs to follow what everyone else does. Contrary to that, Holden does what he wants and acts how he likes. By acting like this, Holden is not considered as a normal teenager, but as a unique one. Caulfield has often trouble fitting in society. Holden won’t fit into society because he doesn’t want to be a part of it. Hints displaying Holden not wanting to be part of society are his constant failing at school, his powerful revulsion for “phony” qualities, and his distancing himself from people.

    Read More

  • People Like Us

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    This essay will discuss the intrinsic relationship between diversity conceptualization and social integration presenting a response against David Brooks’ essay entitled “People Like Us.” In order to do this I will discuss four crucial elements: the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification, Brook’s ideas about social groups working together and social groups coexisting together, the importance of diversity, and the influence of diversity in social changes. I will examine why some people have the perception that our American society ignore or see as unworthy diversity. Thus, I will dispute Brook’s view stating that our society disregards diversity, and Americans just pretend that it is important to them.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Transcendentalism And The Modern Era

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    Individualism from the transcendentalist era is very different then it is in the modern day. In the transcendentalist era, everyone believed that the person is more important than the society. You see this in self reliance where Emerson says “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events” (Emerson par. 3). In this quote, i believe the emerson is saying that you know what's best for yourself and you should follow your heart, but society is always going to try to tell you something different. In the modern day, people rely more on the

    Read More

  • The Individual in "Chains of Illusion”

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." World of Ideas 8e I-claim. Boston: Bedford/st Martins, 2009. 256-67. Print.

    Read More

  • 5 Paragragh Essay: The Catcher In The Rye

    589 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the youthful protagonist Holden Caufield, employs the word “phony” to describe the behavior of a number of characters including Mr. Spencer and Ossenburger, however it is not them who are“phony”, it is the young main character. First, Mr. Spencer, Holden’s ex- history teacher, is not described as phony, but according to the adolescent, his choice of words are. Secondly, according to our main character, Ossenburger is not the generous philanthropist he portrays himself to be, but rather a greedy undertaker. Lastly, the protagonist could quite possibly be the authentic phony. All in all, the main character’s use to describe many other characters in the book is with the single word phony, when in fact the word phony would be the most probable word to describe the lead character.

    Read More

  • Conformity Killing Today's Youth Analysis

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    Americans, and ultimately every other individual on the planet, believe that we are all different from one another. We contrast from the way we look, to the way we sound, to the way we stand, walk, talk, etc. Overall, we are incompatible. However, what if that’s a false claim? What if we were exactly the same towards one another, like mirrors almost? My own view of conformity and individuality as it relates to humanity, society, teenagers, and the world is that we are the same more than we are different from each other. However, my claim frightens us so much; we practically change who we are and alter our existence into something that we loathe and despise. Ultimately, I believe that humanity is controlled by society and that individuals reap

    Read More

  • The Effect of Concentration on the Reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hcl. Under the conical flask I put a white piece of paper and put a

    Read More

  • Rates of Reaction - Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid

    2084 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rates of Reaction - Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid In this piece of coursework, I will study how concentration affects the rate of reaction. I will do so by timing the reaction of Sodium Thiosulphate with an acid. In this coursework, I will include background knowledge, prediction, safety, results, calculations, graphs, an analysis, conclusion and an evaluation. In my evaluation I will comment on how reliable my results were and how I could have improved my coursework in any possible way.

    Read More

  • Individuallity vs. Conformity

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Individuality and conformity both play a major role in society. No matter what it may be individuals will need to choose appropriately between conforming and acting individualistically about their situation. Individuality allows individuals to freely express themselves while conformity offers safety under the protection of other conformers. Both of these aspects are beneficial to many individuals and is a key to maintaining societal order; however, it is disastrous to have too much of either side of the spectrum. Therefore, there should be a balance between individuality and conformity because having too much of either side morally and physically harms components of society, such that it pressures and forces individuals to do tasks against their will, and causes individuals to think selfishly and worry solely about themselves.

    Read More

  • Emerson's Self Reliance

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    asks one to follow his own convictions and thoughts rather than those of others because these are

    Read More

  • Individualism And Transcendentalism

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    The chief entities of individualism come in regards to man, every man. The element of this philosophy is a, “Sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. Individualism holds that a civilized society, or any form of association, cooperation or peaceful coexistence among men, can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rights…” (Rand 129). This very belief ties in with the transcendentalist lifestyle as the idea of thinking for oneself without the rules set by society rises to the scale. Individuals tend to exclude the imposed rules of society, and instead, live a more naturalistic life. While adopting the transcendentalist lifestyle, Americans would only prosper, as the room for innovative thinking would have no boundaries. There would be more independency in the world, resulting in greater numbers of leaders rather then followers. Instead of following under the confines of oth...

    Read More

More about Comparing Ideology in Emerson's Self Reliance and Catcher in the Rye

Open Document