Explaining Education

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Within a world abundantly enriched with a vast collection of books and writers, it is not eccentric for different writers to touch upon the same or similar subjects that reflect their personal beliefs. Education, an advocated and major supplement for the success of our society’s youths, can be interpreted in immeasurable ways. An excerpt taken from “Education”, written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, acknowledges Nature to be the essential foundation of education in contrast with the ineffective structure of learning that schools have adopted to suit the needs of the externally motivated scholar and the unconcerned, time-effective teacher. Similarly, In “Superman and Me”, Sherman Alexie proudly supports and addresses the engagement of education to ultimately save the lives of today’s youth, specifically children of Native American descent. Both writers drilled into the core of education, enforcing similar substances, but still remaining true to their own original ideas. “Superman and Me” and the excerpt from “Education” clearly defines education in association with nature and intrinsic motivation, but each author strays from the other’s essay in terms of audience, syntax, and voice. Nature, Emerson argues, essentially develops an outstanding student through the complements of “Genius and Drill”. The role that nature plays in the fundamental development of education significantly enhances the learning ability of the scholar and gist of the material. How a child naturally reacts to the first notes of music or his or her first encounter with mathematics reflects not only natural ability, but his or her internal hunger for knowledge. Emerson stresses the importance of allowing a child to formulate his or her own ideas, whether it takes a... ... middle of paper ... ...rman, saving the lives of the children through inspiring them to engage with education. Throughout his essay the message that he clearly urges is to let “joy and desperation” fuel the audience’s journey to success. Let the desperation to overcome financial hardship motivate the readers to not only do well in their educational years, but develop this joy for learning. Emerson’s excerpt from “Education” and Alexie’s “Superman and Me” parallel each other in terms of overall purpose, which is to enlighten its readers, and general message. The authors both sought to harmonize the juxtaposition of education within the school system and the individual. Emerson states that in order to become a true scholar, it is imperative to produce an enthusiasm for knowledge, which Alexie additionally promotes with his argument concerning the “sullen and already defeated” kids.

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