Emerson's Key Ideas

Key Ideas and Details (a) What terms does Emerson use to describe society? (b) Interpret: According to Emerson, what is society’s main purpose? (c) Draw Conclusions: In what ways does Emerson believe people should be affected by the way others perceive them? a: He describes it in a conformist tone describing how they strive for consistency and are therefore cowards in their unwillingness to expand to new and unique ideas and ways of thinking. b: Society’s main purpose is to create conformity and sameness. c: They ought to not care but instead be happy with who they are themselves; others opinions do not matter 2. Key Ideas and Details (a) Interpret: According to Emerson, what role does the “divine” have in determining each person’s circumstances? (b)

b: Each person has a divine purpose for which they should live. Whether or not they follow this plan is partially to their own accord.
3. Craft and Structure (a) Make a Judgment: How important is Emerson’s use of the adjective “foolish” in his discussion of consistency? (b) Speculate: Do you think there are any circumstances in which Emerson would advocate the benefits of consistency? Explain. a: Emerson urges his readers to be independent in their actions and thoughts, not partaking in the uniformity of the world. Emerson calls the uniformity of the world foolish, because consistency, or conformity, takes away the mind and soul of an independent thinker. b: Emerson might advocate the benefits of consistency in the natural world. If one day, the grass was green, and the next, it was blue, Emerson might rethink his whole philosophy with hating conformity.
Of course, it is good to be unique, but grass of a same species, should be uniform and stay the “right” color. 4. Integration of Ideas and Knowledge Which passage in these essays best expresses belief in the importance of the individual? Explain the reasons for your choice. In your response, use at least two