Emerson's Ethos

According to Phillip Lopate, “the personal essayist must above all be a reliable narrator; we must trust his or her core of sincerity” (1994). The personal essay relies heavily on the author’s ethos. It could be argued that it may be hard to establish credibility when the information presented in a personal essay is based on opinions, ideologies, or personal experiences. Lopate refutes this, however, by emphasizing that security must be found in the conveyance of ideas. An essayist must acknowledge their own lack of importance, show candor even in their ignorance, and commentate on the objective reality (1994). With these components in mind, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays “Self-Reliance” and “The Over-Soul,” as well as his speeches “American

His essays are based on his honesty. Emerson’s honesty differs slightly from that of another essayist, Michel de Montaigne, because Emerson does not use personal anecdotes. He uses experiences, but does not chronicle them. “The Over-Soul” best demonstrates this technique. Emerson refers to himself often as he outlines his faith, stating, “In my dealing with my child, my Latin and Greek, my accomplishments and my money stead me nothing; but as much soul as I have avails” (Emerson). Instead utilizing narration as Montaigne did in “Of Friendship”, Emerson introduces concepts through examples and analyzes them using his insight. Therefore, this approach allows him to remain within the boundaries of the genre because he is still

He allows God to usurp his own importance, and the importance of mankind in general. For example, in “American Scholar,” Emerson weighs the pros and cons of books yet cites presumably the Bible as the “most precious.” According to Emerson, “When he can read God directly, the hour is too precious to be wasted in other men’s transcripts of their readings” (1837). Furthermore, “The Divinity School Address” continues this trend with Emerson writing, “He who puts off impurity, thereby puts on purity. If a man is at heart just, then in so far is he God; the safety of God, the immortality of God, the majesty of God do enter that man with justice” (1838). Thus, it is implied that man cannot be “just” without the intervention of God, or Over-soul. However, the humility of this confession creates tension with the tendency of personal essays to go against popular opinion. In the same speech, Emerson criticizes the church for holding Jesus to higher importance than other men (1883). While this argument’s premise aligns with the criteria outlined by Lopate, it could be argued that this criticism is a proclamation of self-righteousness. However, it is counterbalanced by Emerson’s reiteration that God’s omnipotence overthrows man’s power. Moreover, even in “Self-reliance,” Emerson emphasizes mankind’s subservience to God by stating, “God will not have