Transcendentalism In Peanuts On Life

“Peanuts on Life” (Solitude, Oversoul) Solitude and oversoul, two of the twelve components of transcendentalism, can be represented in the comic Peanuts on Life. The comic shows the beloved character Charlie Brown laying in bed and asking the question “Why am I here?”. He then receives a response from a unknown voice asking him “Where do you want to be?”. This small comic represents transcendentalism in more ways than one. For example, the idea that everyone is born god-like, and contains a part of god within themselves, is represented in the subtext of the two questions asked in the comic. Because everyone is god-like, and their fate is already written, the question of “Why am I here” can be simple answered by the word fate. This can be also interpreted in the quote “Accept the place the Providence has found for you.”, in Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This quote means that everyone is where they our suppose to be, and god has led them there for a reason. The second concept, solitude, can be derived by the comic simply by Charlie Brown

This quote came from Ralph Waldo Emerson, a central figure of transcendentalism. Emerson preached that every individual could transcend, and move beyond the physical world of the senses, in order to have a spiritual experience through free will and intuition. Emerson, and also Henry David Thoreau, another transcendentalism leader of the mid-nineteenth century, believed in independence, nonconformity, and an undeniable strength of thought. These message also appear in Dr. Seuss’s Oh the Places You’ll Go. For example, the line “You can steer yourself any direction you choose” creates the feeling of individualism and a powerful feeling of self confidence. It is clear to see that Dr. Seuss’s goal was to encourage children to follow their hearts, push to achieve their dreams, and embrace their true self. When compared, the two messages are very similar to each