The main character of the book Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, goes on a journey of self discovery to three different locations for different purposes - Italy for the Pursuit of Pleasure, India for the Pursuit of Devotion, and Indonesia for the Pursuit of Balance. From this expedition, it is shown that in order to find one’s self, they must be self-reliant while still maintaining a sense of spirituality. Gilbert learns this fairly early on in the book, but still continued to struggle with being alone making her more of a transcendentalist towards the end of the book. (BOOK) Gilbert became a transcendentalist towards the end of the book due to her determination of trying to find her better self and overcoming the obstacles that came her way. …show more content…
In the documentary filmed by Proenneke himself, he had built a cabin for himself on the shore of Twin Lakes. Although Proenneke was isolated, he was able to live alone and relied on himself while living solitude. Gilbert and Proenneke both share self-reliance and solitude, but in different ways. Gilbert ventured out on an expedition alone while Proenneke separated himself from society by living alone and away from the city life. Gilbert also found her spirituality through prayers and meditations at the Ashram in India. This allowed her to escape momentarily from society and explore her most deepest …show more content…
Gilbert supports herself even when others would not. She knew that she could not rely on others, but instead herself. As stated in Emerson’s essay, “These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members.” (Emerson 3) This is shown in Eat Pray Love when Gilbert had difficulty in the beginning of the book because of her uncertainty with her relationship with her husband and the thought of having kids. She believed that having children was a ‘must’ for women her age, but she was skeptical about the idea. Gilbert believed that she had the ‘perfect’ life and yet was confused as to why she was not happy with it. This is due to the fact that society conforms the way people think, making them believe a certain way is the correct way. This often leads into confusion and doubtfulness of oneself. In the end, Gilbert managed to break from this and chose to listen to herself and guide herself along her
Beliefs are what define humans not as a society, but as individuals. Individualism is a large part of Transcendentalism, which was a movement started in the mid-nineteenth century led by figures such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Into the Wild, written in 1997 by Jon Krakauer, is a modern novel that examines a transcendentalist young adult. That young man is Chris McCandless, who leaves his family at the age of 23 to live the Transcendentalist dream. He hitchhikes and travels through many rivers and cities to get to Alaska, the place where he believes he can finally experience that dream. Transcendentalism is the idea that humans are innately one with nature, and therefore God, and that nature is the only place where humans belong because society is poisonous. By enjoying himself and connecting with god through the environment in an isolated location, Chris McCandless demonstrates that he is a faithful Transcendentalist.
When I was about six or seven I was diagnosed with Aspergers which is a type of Autism. Over the years I have had a bunch of help in my life thanks to my mother and father. Now I bet you really can’t tell because of all the help I have gotten over the years. The trait of transcendentalism is shown here is human potential. In the movie Dead Poets Society, it is about having teenagers form a club, as the same name as the movie. With help from their teacher, they figure out who they are as people and who they want to end up being as life moves on. Transcendentalism is not conforming from society. This movie demonstrates non-conformity, respect for nature, and human potential, which are all traits of Transcendentalism.
Transcendentalism to some is may just be a long, lengthy word coined two hundred years ago that is not used today, but to other people, people like Chris McCandless, it is a way of life. They use these qualities to shape their life and strive hard to follow them. Chris McCandless was so focused on embodying the qualities of transcendentalism that he failed to see how much danger he was putting himself in. He had little to no common sense as shown by Westerberg. “But there were gaps in his thinking. I remember once I went over to the house, walked into the kitchen, and noticed a god-awful stink. I mean it smelled nasty in there. I opened the microwave, and the bottom of it was filled with rancid grease. Alex had been using it to cook chicken, and it never occurred to him that the grease had to drain somewhere. It wasn’t that he was too lazy to clean it up- Alex always kept things real neat and orderly- it was just that he hadn’t noticed the grease” (Krakauer 45). McCandless embodied the values of transcendentalism by believing in living closer to nature, believing in the dignity of manual labor, and being self reliant.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful maxims Emerson wrote would have to be "Insist on yourself, never imitate." This statement captures the total essence of transcendentalism; deny the will and aspirations of others, and follow your own heart.The movie Dead Poets Society begins by introducing the viewers to Todd Anderson, a very subdued and quiet young man. Todd has the average inferiority complex. He is a very bright young man with exceptional abilities. Todd is unwilling to speak his mind for fear of non-acceptance. Charles Dalton is a seemingly average student with a rebellious attitude. He has already realized that the students are being "brainwashed" into living a preordained life.
Transcendentalism is based on the belief that institutions in the society corrupt an individual’s purity. Transcendentalists believe that people are at their best when they are truly independent and self-reliant. They also believe that from independence and self-reliance, a true community is formed. Even though Transcendentalism is not recognized, it still exists in the modern society. Though not clearly outspoken as in Emerson and Thoreau’s times, many people in today’s society still have transcendental beliefs. Transcendental ideals are found in songs, films, books and other works such as media and advertisements. One example is the song “Get up, Stand up,” by Bob Marley, it is found to be influenced and has inspiration of transcendental elements such as Solitude (individuality), self-reliance, non-conformism (anti-institution), anti-materialism, nature and spirituality.
Many people have theories and philosophies about life in general. There have been hundreds of thousands of books published by many different people on the ideas of people in the past and the present. Transcendentalism falls in amongst all of these ideas. There have been articles, essays, poems, and even books written about this subject. Transcendentalism has effected many people since the philosophy was first introduced. The idea was complex and hard to grasp for many commoners and therefore it was understood by few people, and some would think that the idea was not understood at all and that was part of the idea. Henry David Thoreau once stated about himself, “I should have told them at once that I was a transcendentalist. That would have been the shortest way of telling them that they would not understand my explanations” (Reuben 1).
Initially starting as a religious and philosophical reform movement in the Unitarian church, Transcendentalism is the philosophy emphasizing individualistic spiritual intuition transcending empirical thinking and material based scientific knowledge utilized to comprehend and interpret reality and the connection between the world, the universe, and the individual. Since Transcendentalist acknowledge that humans are inherently born morally and ethically unbiased, they believe that society and its established institutions corrupt the untainted individual. The social and religious conformities of the society imposed on Huck Finn is shown through The Widows and Miss Watson’s adopting of Huck as an attempt to civilize and cleanse him, “The Widow
In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” The father of transcendentalism, Emerson believed that people who resist change to be what is most natural, themselves, are the true heroes of the world. Ken Kesey, another popular writer, wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in a similar spirit. His novel takes place on the ward of a controlling army nurse at an Oregon mental institution in the late 1950s. The storyline mainly follows the interactions between Nurse Ratched, a manipulating representation of society, and Randle Patrick McMurphy, a patient, gambler, and renegade. Kesey echoes the transcendentalists and romantics in his work by
Gilbert loves his mom, but she’s too much for him. Since Gilbert is the man of the house it’s up to him to take care of his family, which is a lot of pressure. At one point in the film Gilbert says, “I wanna be a good person.” This quote shows how much pressure Gilbert puts on himself to be a good person for his family. Gilbert’s family relies on him for so much and Gilbert does all he can to provide do to provide everything they want. All of the pressure of being relied on is a lot and starts to show up in his
In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is a beautiful African-American woman who wants to explore and find love with a real man. She goes through a few men trying to do this, but at the same time she is unwillingly forced with these men who don’t affiliate with the love she desires. However, when Tea Cake marries Janie she gains self-determination when he expresses his love and affection to her that is qualifying factors of her love expectations. Therefore, Janie learns the value of true love and proves herself as a brave woman.
Transcendentalism plays a key role in all of our lives. Many commonly shared values are rooted from the transcendental keys. Some devote their entire lives to try and live as transcendental as possible. For example, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were huge undertakers in these ideas and virtues. Chris McCandless looked up to these great thinkers and many others to find an outline for his life. McCandless dedicated his entire life to following many transcendental keys such as non-conformity, reducing dependence on property, and self-reliance.
The book also revolves around the idea that God is all around us and inside of us. Transcendentalist theology says that because God is inside of us, and we come from nature, we are also divine. It says that we have a direct relationship with God, and there is no need for organized religion as long as you have a relationship with nature and a clear, Godly understanding of yourself and your environment. (63) Sam, Lige and Joe start a conversation about how God made nature and nat...
Finally, Flaubert warns that individuals that base their expectations for love on what they have consumed from media, will not only be unsatisfied with their romantic relationships, but also be incapable of establishing a relationship of any kind. This idea is exemplified through Emma’s interactions with Berthe and Felicite. While naturally a mother is expected to be maternal and loving, Emma views Berthe as a reminder of Charles’ failures, and thus, as a result her unrealistic expectation of love, Emma feels little connection to Berthe (such as when she cause Berthe to bleed because she attempts to crawl into Emma’s lap). Likewise, Emma’s failure to achieve success through her marriage leaves her to use Felicite, as an outlet, to create the illusion of her class within her home (as observed through her internal dialogue regarding how she would have Felicite maintain her house). These relationships develop Flaubert’s argument because, though they aren’t directly impacted by Emma’s false ideals, they are far from being healthy as a result her dissatisfaction with
From the beginning of his life Richard Proenneke strived to achieve the extremes and to be successful in what he wished to pursue. After surving in World War II and getting seriously ill, he returned to Primrose, Iowa. Back home he picked up odd jobs as machanics, eventually becoming a highly desired worker—this would push him into moving out to Oregon to become a sheep rancher. In 1950, Proenneke travelled to Alaska for the first time. This trip was the turning point in his life. He left the Twin Lakes knowing that he would return
Gilbert was considered a very outgoing kid growing up. With his hard work and dedication, he overcame any obstacle. After Gilbert lost his paternal grandfather, he decided to change the ways he lived life. This was when he became a more optimistic person. He decided to try and find the positive view towards every situation, rather than the negative. This is what allowed him to become a successful