Anti Transcendentalism

The philosophical movement transcendentalism and anti-transcendentalism have been around for some time in American Literature. “Self-reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson contrasts “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. One portrays the way society can have different negative views with a person that chooses to be different. Transcendentalist writer Ralph Emerson turns to nature to show people how to improve their quality of their lives by living peacefully and happily. Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses himself with dark and literal emotions implying secrets, sins, and overall discomfort regarding a situation.
In “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Hawthorne, one will be judged and looked down on for being different. For example, a character was wearing a veil and was brought to the audience’s attention while in church. He is looked down on for being unique and for not looking as formal as the rest of the people in church. The author claims in a part of the story that “ He has changed himself into something awful, only by

“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance”. This part proves to the audience the greatness of being a humble individual and the envy that we have about other people, can no longer remain with us when becoming adults. It is important to be respectful and mature and overall being a polite human being. Ralph Waldo Emerson insists that society does not want the individual to have strength; it wants he or she to be dependent. I think that society’s desire of an individual to not have strength should only push the individual to improve himself and develop toughness and durability.It is very important that an individual is independent because this makes the individual hard worker and successful person. The essay by Emerson proves that self independent mentalities should be considered by individuals of society, and that being yourself is