The messages about the individual conveyed in Emerson’s “Self Reliance” and “American Scholar” are in harmony with the messages conveyed in Crevecoeur’s “What is an American?”. According to Emerson and Crevecoeur, the American individual would be hard working, self reliant, strive for personal freedom and follow their own goals. This would require the ability to reject previous ideologies and avoid conformity. Crevecoeur drew from his experience as an early American Farmer, observing the potential of all men, and their ability to honor nature and model goodness. He concluded that the individual possessing these qualities would find success. Emerson was a philosopher and leader of the transcendentalist movement. He too, stressed the inherent …show more content…
goodness in man and nature. While not directly intended, his writings urge the individual to uphold the approach to life that Crevecoeur experienced first hand. Emerson and Crevecoeur's ideas are most in harmony with their beliefs on the individual's connection with nature. Crevecoeur was fascinated with America's natural beauty, and believed that all Americans would find success simply by honoring and living off the land. In Emerson's address to Harvard graduates, his speech opens by stressing the importance of each individual’s relationship with nature. “The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature.” (Emerson, 1311 ). To achieve real success the individual must go beyond mere appreciation of nature and should accept that nature is the essence of the individual's spirit. According to Emerson and Crevecoeur, the individual has a personal obligation to work hard and put forth a best effort, regardless of the immediate outcome or variety of work.
“Rewards of his industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labour; his labour is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest; can it want a stronger allurement?” (Crevecoeur 223) He illustrates again a fondness of nature and its tie in with hard work. Emerson also felt that hard work, learning from various trades, and perseverance would ultimately work in the individual’s favor. With regard to education and scholars, Emerson advised that life experiences were equally important to formal education “Only so much do I know, as I have lived”. (Emerson) While Self-Reliance was Emerson's philosophy, it is clear that Crevecour understood the importance of this trait for the individual, “A new man , who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.” (Crevecoeur 223). Crevecoeur was asking a lot of Americans. This idea of trusting yourself and not relying on kings and parliament rules was an unfamiliar concept. When Crevecoeur writes, “He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced” (Crevecoeur 222) he is foreshadowing Emerson's strong desire to resist
conformity. Emerson and Crevecoeur expect the individual to exhibit personal freedom and have a willingness to follow their own goals. In “Self -Reliance” Emerson states that one must “Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. (Emerson). This is an important step for any individual according to Emerson and Crevecoeur. If one can achieve personal freedom, while keeping moral and virtuous standards society and the individual would benefit. Once again, Crevecoeur creates a framework for Emerson with his ideas about personal freedom. “We are all animated with the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself” (Crevecoeur 221) Given the polarity of political and social climate of these two writers it is remarkable how harmonious their ideas are about shaping the individual. Crevecoeur wrote about the individuals that would create the society brave and secure enough to declare independence and Emerson wrote about the need for the nation building individuals to share common traits.
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.
...is parents, or materialistic items. Seeking for his independence is what led Chris to his adventure to Alaska. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “Self- Reliance”, an essay that stated how he believed how people should be self reliant. It also stated the steps to becoming independent. In his essay, he states, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” (Emerson). Emerson also believes in non-conformists, and states that all men should become nonconformists.”Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” (Emerson).
Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crevecoeur was a French born citizen who moved to New York and became a naturalized citizen of Great Britain. After living in America as a citizen for a while, Crevecoeur decided to write an essay titled “Letters from an American Farmer”. During this time, tensions in America between the colonists and loyalists were increasing, and because of this the idea of America as a sovereign nation and territory was becoming popular. Crevecoeur wrote this essay in order to discuss what it means to be an American, and why people should be honored to be called an American. Crevecoeur believes that America is a melting pot of the world, and is full of opportunities for anyone who lives there. In order to back up his claim, Crevecoeur uses rhetorical devices, especially pathos, while he does also use ethos and logos as well.
Emerson and Franklin both had very similar ideas in regard to human behavior, but they believed in opposing outcomes from following these similar life styles. They both believed that by controlling ones desire and impulsive nature one could better themselves and their purpose in society. However their end results are very contrasting, Emerson is bettering himself for the discovery of knowledge, Franklin is bettering himself to improve his image and his money making ability. They also contrast on many of their fundamental beliefs of what the duty of the individuals role in society is. Franklin gives a process by which every individual can better themselves and the public as a whole. Emerson’s ideas on the other hand revolve around the idea of self discovery and the betterment of ones mind through the acquisition of knowledge leading to the Universal Truth.
Destiny is not arranged by God anymore in Franklin and Emerson’s view, so that develop individual self’s desire of exploring their potentials becomes necessary to succeed. Withholding various definitions of success, Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson coincidentally stick with the same principle: everyone can succeed if he or she works hard enough. They have controversies over what is success, but the spirit of upward mobility exits in both of the authors and the time
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The American Scholar ; Self-reliance ; Compensation. N.p.: American Book, 1893. Print.
Both Emerson and Thoreau’s still have something to teach us today. The ideas that they share in “Self-Reliance” and “Life without Principle” are still relevant in today’s world. When students are taught about these writers they feel as if it’s a waste of time, but in reality if they paid close attention they would understand that it is for their benefit.
Ralph Waldo Emerson grew up in Boston, Massachusetts his childhood was good. Emerson’s father William Emerson was a clergyman, which the majority of Emerson’s lineage had been. Emerson went Boston Latin School and later went to Harvard University and the Harvard school of divinity. In 1826, he was approved as minister and ordained to the Unitarian church in 1829. Emerson had three main points about scholars being educated. The three key points were that nature, books, and action educate the scholar. The first point was that nature’s variety conceals fundamental laws that are the same time laws if the human mind: “the ancient principle, “Know Thyself” and the modern principal, “Study Nature”.
“Identity means who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others,” (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Third Edition). Every individual, group and country has their own identity which makes them different from others and it shows uniqueness of oneself. Reaction against the existing philosophy takes place when there is conflict in interest amongst the philosophers. It was from the late eighteenth century until mid nineteenth century that the philosophical and literary movement (Transcendental Movement) took place in America as a result of extreme rationalism of the enlightenment. “Transcendentalism, an idealist philosophical tendency among writers in and around Boston in the mid-19th century. Growing out of Christian Unitarianism in the 1830s under the influence of German and British Romanticism, transcendentalism affirmed Kant’s principle of intuitive knowledge not derived from the senses, while rejecting organized religion for an extremely individualistic celebration of the divinity in each human being” (Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms, p. 262). Thus, being the transcendentalists, both Emerson and Thoreau represented American Identity by influencing American to participate in the construction of American identity through their writings and actions. Therefore, this essay will compare and contrast the way in which Emerson and Thoreau represented American Identity; firstly it will argue Emerson’s influence on the American scholars to create American Identity through creation of an intellectual scholars, which was unique and free from European influence and secondly it will discuss th...
In “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he promotes the importance of self reliance as an individual, and in society. Individuality to Emerson Opposed the traditional ideas of society, and to him it meant to oppose the conformity and consistency in society. He believes that the majority of people have given up their self reliance because of their fear of judgement by society. To be an individual, Emerson stresses that one has to be a risk taker, and disregard all things external.
I believe that, essentially, life consists of a series of choices. A grouping of these choices in one direction or another makes us who we are, and ultimately we have control over our lives. What makes one person different from another is his own set of choices. When going through life’s motions, we develop certain worldviews and ideas and values to live by. We develop an opinion of what makes a person “great.” In the well-known essay “Self-Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson provides a beautiful way of approaching these choices, and he reveals a very inspiring set of values centralized around going through life answering only to yourself. I love the way Emerson evaluates the society we live in, and how he radically encourages being misunderstood and nonconformist. Emerson, like myself, exhibits values of saying exactly what you think and living only by what you believe to be the best.
Defining the American character is quite difficult because American identity is vaguely founded on shared values and ideologies, more so than a particular creed, race, or culture. In order to describe the American character, we will consider the dominate and distinctive qualities of Americans as interpreted by J. Hector St. Jon De Crèvecoeur and Thomas Paine. First, we will examine how Crèvecoeur illustrates Americans as industrious, prideful, and political in “Letters from an American Farmer.” Then, we will analyze from Thomas Paine's “Common Sense” how he depicts the prevalent qualities of Americans to be driven by justice, liberty, emotions, and individualism. Also, because both authors consider the American character and culture different
The first step in Emerson’s careerbuilder was to go to school, so he was entered into Harvard at the age of fourteen. His educational experience carried him through his teens, and around the age of twenty-five, he was still following the path his mother and aunt had dug out for him. Emerson had been accepted for a job at Boston's Second Church. He worked at that ministry for several years, and then his transcendentalist side began to appear.
One recurring theme of this era of American literature was the idea of establishing independence for the United States from the historical ties to Europe. A cry went out for Americans to marvel in the wonders of their own backyard, rather than to look overseas to the previously dominant western European nations. Emerson was no exception to this movement and took time during his “The American Scholar'; lecture to speak of the need for the present generation of Americans to establish their own history: “Each age, it is found, must write its own books; or rather, each generation for the next succeeding. The books of an older period will not fit this.'; Emerson called for active, original thought on the part of American scholars and criticized those who wrote as they: “set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles.'; His criticism more specifically, was directed to those scholars who looked abroad for inspiration, only to find: “That which had been negligently trodden under foot by those who were harnessing and provisioning themselves for long journies into far countries, [are] suddenly found to be richer than all foreign parts.
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...