Thoreau And Emerson Comparison Essay

Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson both believe every individual should be unique. They would agree that a man should not blindly follow the majority but think and act for themselves instead. Thoreau and Emerson even claim a man should be willing to die for his beliefs. Therefore, Thoreau and Emerson would unquestionably agree with Mark Twain when he says, "whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." Twain implies in his sentiment that a man, when he finds himself sharing beliefs with others, should stop to think why he holds those same beliefs. He should also consider if his thoughts are his own, or if they came from the "majority". Thoreau, Emerson, and Twain all share the value of men

Thoreau believes that if a man is given a choice between giving up a part of his individuality, or death, he should consider choosing death. Instead of stating this directly, Thoreau uses the example of a government giving an individual an ultimatum, a choice between "[his] money or [his] life." Thoreau states, "Why should [he] be in haste to give it [his] money?”(Thoreau 71). Thoreau implies that if a person has a strong belief and is forced to decide between breaking that belief, or death, the person should consider making the ultimate sacrifice. Choosing death is, however, not an easy choice. Thoreau believes a man must let his "conscience" guide him, and allow it to help him decide what choice to make. Emerson agrees with Thoreau. In fact, he even gives examples of people who had the strength to choose death. He lists, “Socrates… Jesus… and Luther” as men who were willing to put their lives on the line in order to maintain their individuality (62). Both Emerson and Thoreau, therefore, would agree with Twain that instead of following the majority without thought, all men should think for