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Critical essays on emerson's nature
Emerson's philosophy displayed in nature
Emerson's philosophy displayed in nature
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Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The truth is beautiful, without doubt; and so are lies.” We always see the truth as ameliorating to lies, but what if the lies are just as beautiful? What does it mean to have beautiful lies? When one tells lies, they are almost always saying them in hopes to appear better than the think they are. They will make themselves out to be whoever they want, someone they would like to be but is not. Therefore, they are beautiful in the sense that they can create a persona that people look to and admire, but they're just lies. The beautiful truth simply means that when we learn the truth of someone, there is beauty in knowing that someone has opened up to tell you the truth about who they really are. Whether the actual …show more content…
truth is good or bad doesn't matter in the moment that you are being told something that may be hiding from others. Lies create beautiful false depictions and the truth reveals the beautiful trueness to a person. In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, everyone, and their grandmother is lying if not to themselves, than to those around them.
The lies that are most prominent are the ones that tend to try and create a false delineation of themselves for others. The twist in the story is that if you tell the truth that you “are not a witch”, you die while also gaining freedom because you retain your seat with God and are seen as a martyr. While many are telling the truth about how they are, Proctor has cheated on his wife but has never told anyone for reasons that seem obvious, it’s frowned upon to do so. He has created this beautiful lie because he has created a facade for himself that makes others think highly of him. When he admits to adulterous actions, people now know who he is and are more apt to forgive him for his “sins” because he has come forward with the truth. In this case, the lies that are created are there to create false personas while the truth reveals something about someone that leads them to better understandings with …show more content…
others. In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F.
Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby affirms Emerson's belief that while the truth is beautiful, so are the lies that can surround that truth. Gatsby lives in a life surrounded by beautiful lies. He has an extravagant home built and decorated with money that no one knows where he got it from. In a literal sense, he lives in one giant beautiful lie. He thrives off the lies and assumptions that others place upon him. Never does he correct someone about who he is and later it is shown that the lies are what protects him from people learning too much about him. Emerson would concur that when someone opens up to you, it is a beautiful truth, only then do you get to learn the truth to the lies that surround the person. Gatsby resonates well with this because he only opens up to Daisy. The reader only learns how he acquired this exuberant lifestyle after he opens up to Daisy and tells her the truth. The beautiful truth that is himself. Emerson alleges that while lies are beautiful because of the stories that are created, the truth is equally beautiful because only then can you get to know
someone. In ““Tell All the Truth But Tell it Slant” by Emily Dickinson, she takes a new approach by creating the idea that telling half the truth could benefit you as well. Beginning the poem with the title shows that telling the truth in an alternative manner might be the best approach. Dickinson then compares telling the truth to telling a child about lightning, “As Lightning to the Children eased/ With explanation kind/ The Truth must dazzle gradually” (lines 5-7). She is stating that while explaining the truth to someone, you must do it in the simplest terms, because the truth may surprise the listener. The main theme of the poem is simply that the truth is too hard to tell someone's. Emerson would agree with this because even though there is beauty is the truth and in the lies, it doesn't mean that opening up to someone is ever easy. Dickinson never advocates for lying, similarly Emerson never says that the truth or lies are bad, just that they have a sort of beauty to them. At the end of the poem, Dickinson says “Or every man be blind---” (line 8), this implies that if the truth never comes out, then people are only blind to the truth. No matter how the truth comes out, it’s never easy but it has a sense of beauty to it when someone takes the time to tell you in simple terms the truth about who they are. Emerson creates the thought that while we always think of the truth is beautiful, lies can be too in that they create a delusive image of a person that makes others venerate them. In multiple texts, it it revealed that while the lies surrounding someone can make a beautiful person, the beauty stems solely from when the truth is avowed.
Each character has a certain failing that they represent in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, more than anyone else. For Thomas Putnam his failing is how he would do anything to get vengeance on Francis Nurse. John Proctor failing is dishonesty to protect which undoubtedly cause his own down fall. Reverend Parris whose materialistic ways for money will end up with him having nothing. Putnam’s vengeance, Proctor’s dishonesty to protect, and Parris’ materialism all show a failing that will have consequences for someone in Salem.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller shows how authority is a characteristic that can easily become a problem throughout a society. Many subjects were addressed in The Crucible such as guilt, hypocrisy, justice, hysteria, and courage. However, the most important subject throughout the play would be the nature of authority. There is a fine line between the concept of having authority and having power. In the book, the authority weakened and led to the antagonist Abigail Williams leading the law as opposed to the law leading Abigail Williams. At the instant that Abigail was granted authority over the townspeople she acted on it in order to have power. Not only is there power that comes with authority, but there is also responsibility which was demonstrated
A crucible refers to a harsh test, and in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, each person is challenged in a severe test of his or her character or morals. Many more people fail than pass, but three notable characters stand out. Reverend John Hale, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Proctor all significantly change over the course of the play.
Crucible- a severe test, a hard trial or also could be define as a pot for melting metals. A severe trail could be as other then a physical it also could be mentally a severe trial like person verses self. In The Crucible, Miller reflects the theme that pressure can force people from there can force their morals. The characters in The Crucible have morals that they must up hold to be accepted into the town and church. It is a struggle to keep these values when there are moral hazards like desires, greed, hate, and obsession.
Lying has deadly effects on both the individual who lies and those around them. This concept is demonstrated in The Great Gatsby. Although Gatsby, Tom and Myrtle have different motives for being deceitful, they all lie in order to fulfill their desires and personal needs. Myrtle’s desire to be wealthy is illustrated when she first meets Tom, dressed in his expensive clothing, as her attitude changes when she puts on the luxurious dress and when she encourages Tom to buy her a dog. Tom’s deception is clear when he hides his affair with Myrtle by placing Myrtle in a different train, withholding the truth from Mr. Wilson of the affair and convincing Myrtle and Catherine that he will one day marry Myrtle. Gatsby tries to convince himself and others that he is the son of wealthy people, he creates an appearance that he is a successful, educated man through the books in his library and assures himself that Daisy loves him. Tom’s dishonesty reveals that he is selfish, while Gatsby’s distortions expose his insecurities, and Myrtle’s misrepresentations show that her sole focus in life is to achieve materialistic success. Gatsby and Myrtle both lie in order to obtain the “American dream.” However, Tom, who appears to already have achieved the “American dream”, deceives others out of boredom and because he takes his wealthy lifestyle for granted. F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates the human flaw of dishonesty for personal gain and how lies have inevitably tragic consequences in his characterization of Gatsby, Myrtle and Tom.
The Crucible – Human Nature Human nature was fully to blame for the disaster which took place in Salem in 1692. Human nature is what your character is made of in trying situations, and in 1692 scientific knowledge was extremely poor by today's standards and so all reoccurring problems were blamed on an evil force, whether it be the devil or witches or anything the imagination could conjure, hence human nature was being tested regularly. The decisions people made were critical to the disaster's progression, in today's scene in would have been dismissed within minutes, but the paranoia floating around in the town kept the ball rolling. People were so terrified of the thought of evil that any suggestion of it would create a preordained judgement in the mind of anyone, especially those who made judgement of the accused. To get to the supposed
Lies are a treacherous thing, yet everyone tells a few lies during their lifetime. Deceit surrounds us all the time even when one reads classic literature. For example, F. Scott Fitzgerald makes dishonesty a major theme in his novel The Great Gatsby. The falsehoods told by the characters in this novel lead to inevitable tragedy when the truth is revealed. Jay Gatsby, one of the main characters in the novel, fails to realize that when one tells a lie, it comes back to bite you.
In the Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald the novel does not reflect an autobiography, but several of Fitzgerald’s personal experiences are reflected in it. Similarities can be drawn between the novel and Scott Fitzgeralds own life. Similarities include Gatsby and Fitzgerald 's want for success through continuous failure, dreams of success, strong feelings towards alcohol, and their love life. Nick’s qualities that relate to Fitzgerald include his honesty as a man in relation to the liars surrounding him. Also his mid western values to not be judgemental makes him a perfect observer, but also makes him the perfect outsider, which is how Fitzgerald always felt in the company of rich people. The relation between Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby
Many characters in The Crucible fall under the trap of lying, if not to other people, then to themselves. The Crucible is a fictional retelling of events in history, surrounding the Salem witch trials. It takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692 and 1693. Additionally, Miller wrote the play as an allegory to mccarthyism, which is the practice of making accusations without evidence. In the play, Arthur Miller develops the theme of lies and deceit by showing Abigail lying for her own benefit, John Proctor committing adultery, and Elizabeth lying to protect her husband.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
...ecause it would be a lie to claim that he has never lied. Elizabeth says that she has her own sins, and only a bad wife would want lechery. Finally Proctor decides that he will confess himself, and then he asks if what he does is even evil. When Proctor agrees to save himself by admitting to witchcraft, Danforth demands a written confession and says that he must prove the purity of his soul to others, so he demands that Proctor accuse others. Hale says that it is good enough for Proctor to confess to God, but Danforth still wants a written statement. Proctor refuses, because he wants to keep his name good for the respect of his children. Danforth refuses to accept his confession, and orders that he be lynched. Hale begs Elizabeth to plead with Proctor to sign a confess, but Elizabeth claims that Proctor now has his goodness, and nobody should take it away from him.
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
Persecution has been a round for sometime and can be traced historically from the time of Jesus to the present time. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith in the hands of the Jews. Many Christians have been persecuted in history for their allegiance to Christ and forced to denounce Christ and others have been persecuted for failing to follow the laws of the land. The act of persecution is on the basis of religion, gender, race, differing beliefs and sex orientation. Persecution is a cruel and inhumane act that should not be supported since people are tortured to death. In the crucible, people were persecuted because of alleged witchcraft.
Parallels between Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, and his article Why I wrote the Crucible, can easily support Miller’s reasons for writing this classic play. Miller’s purpose in writing both the play and the article was to emphasize the similarities between the 1692 witch hunt and the 1950’s Red Scare. Miller simply wanted to convey the message of fear over reason, express himself in a new language of old English, to warn of mass hysteria, and most importantly compare his life in the 1950’s to the irrational trial in 1692. Miller’s reasons are numerous, and while they are all stated flat out in his article, they are also clearly stated and understood in the play.
The desire for power and authority has always been a part of the human nature. Today’s society most often use power to dominate one another and fulfill one’s personal intentions, which can affect other people in many ways. Having power and authority is truly gratifying but it is terrifying if abused and used for selfish acts. The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is an example to illustrate the consequences of abuse of power. The characters Abigail Williams, Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris use their power over society by manipulating people and using their authority to fulfill their personal intentions, like material gain, vengeance, maintaining social status and reputation, and attention, which eventually lead into a mass hysteria.