The messages about the individual conveyed in Emerson’s “Self Reliance” and “American Scholar” are in harmony with the messages conveyed in Crevecoeur’s “What is an American?”. According to Emerson and Crevecoeur, the American individual would be hard working, self reliant, strive for personal freedom and follow their own goals. This would require the ability to reject previous ideologies and avoid conformity. Crevecoeur drew from his experience as an early American Farmer, observing the potential of all men, and their ability to honor nature and model goodness. He concluded that the individual possessing these qualities would find success. Emerson was a philosopher and leader of the transcendentalist movement. He too, stressed the inherent …show more content…
“Rewards of his industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labour; his labour is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest; can it want a stronger allurement?” (Crevecoeur 223) He illustrates again a fondness of nature and its tie in with hard work. Emerson also felt that hard work, learning from various trades, and perseverance would ultimately work in the individual’s favor. With regard to education and scholars, Emerson advised that life experiences were equally important to formal education “Only so much do I know, as I have lived”. (Emerson) While Self-Reliance was Emerson's philosophy, it is clear that Crevecour understood the importance of this trait for the individual, “A new man , who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.” (Crevecoeur 223). Crevecoeur was asking a lot of Americans. This idea of trusting yourself and not relying on kings and parliament rules was an unfamiliar concept. When Crevecoeur writes, “He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced” (Crevecoeur 222) he is foreshadowing Emerson's strong desire to resist
Emerson and Franklin both had very similar ideas in regard to human behavior, but they believed in opposing outcomes from following these similar life styles. They both believed that by controlling ones desire and impulsive nature one could better themselves and their purpose in society. However their end results are very contrasting, Emerson is bettering himself for the discovery of knowledge, Franklin is bettering himself to improve his image and his money making ability. They also contrast on many of their fundamental beliefs of what the duty of the individuals role in society is. Franklin gives a process by which every individual can better themselves and the public as a whole. Emerson’s ideas on the other hand revolve around the idea of self discovery and the betterment of ones mind through the acquisition of knowledge leading to the Universal Truth.
Both Emerson and Thoreau’s still have something to teach us today. The ideas that they share in “Self-Reliance” and “Life without Principle” are still relevant in today’s world. When students are taught about these writers they feel as if it’s a waste of time, but in reality if they paid close attention they would understand that it is for their benefit.
Defining the American character is quite difficult because American identity is vaguely founded on shared values and ideologies, more so than a particular creed, race, or culture. In order to describe the American character, we will consider the dominate and distinctive qualities of Americans as interpreted by J. Hector St. Jon De Crèvecoeur and Thomas Paine. First, we will examine how Crèvecoeur illustrates Americans as industrious, prideful, and political in “Letters from an American Farmer.” Then, we will analyze from Thomas Paine's “Common Sense” how he depicts the prevalent qualities of Americans to be driven by justice, liberty, emotions, and individualism. Also, because both authors consider the American character and culture different
Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crevecoeur was a French born citizen who moved to New York and became a naturalized citizen of Great Britain. After living in America as a citizen for a while, Crevecoeur decided to write an essay titled “Letters from an American Farmer”. During this time, tensions in America between the colonists and loyalists were increasing, and because of this the idea of America as a sovereign nation and territory was becoming popular. Crevecoeur wrote this essay in order to discuss what it means to be an American, and why people should be honored to be called an American. Crevecoeur believes that America is a melting pot of the world, and is full of opportunities for anyone who lives there. In order to back up his claim, Crevecoeur uses rhetorical devices, especially pathos, while he does also use ethos and logos as well.
Ralph Waldo Emerson grew up in Boston, Massachusetts his childhood was good. Emerson’s father William Emerson was a clergyman, which the majority of Emerson’s lineage had been. Emerson went Boston Latin School and later went to Harvard University and the Harvard school of divinity. In 1826, he was approved as minister and ordained to the Unitarian church in 1829. Emerson had three main points about scholars being educated. The three key points were that nature, books, and action educate the scholar. The first point was that nature’s variety conceals fundamental laws that are the same time laws if the human mind: “the ancient principle, “Know Thyself” and the modern principal, “Study Nature”.
“Identity means who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others,” (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Third Edition). Every individual, group and country has their own identity which makes them different from others and it shows uniqueness of oneself. Reaction against the existing philosophy takes place when there is conflict in interest amongst the philosophers. It was from the late eighteenth century until mid nineteenth century that the philosophical and literary movement (Transcendental Movement) took place in America as a result of extreme rationalism of the enlightenment. “Transcendentalism, an idealist philosophical tendency among writers in and around Boston in the mid-19th century. Growing out of Christian Unitarianism in the 1830s under the influence of German and British Romanticism, transcendentalism affirmed Kant’s principle of intuitive knowledge not derived from the senses, while rejecting organized religion for an extremely individualistic celebration of the divinity in each human being” (Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms, p. 262). Thus, being the transcendentalists, both Emerson and Thoreau represented American Identity by influencing American to participate in the construction of American identity through their writings and actions. Therefore, this essay will compare and contrast the way in which Emerson and Thoreau represented American Identity; firstly it will argue Emerson’s influence on the American scholars to create American Identity through creation of an intellectual scholars, which was unique and free from European influence and secondly it will discuss th...
In “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he promotes the importance of self reliance as an individual, and in society. Individuality to Emerson Opposed the traditional ideas of society, and to him it meant to oppose the conformity and consistency in society. He believes that the majority of people have given up their self reliance because of their fear of judgement by society. To be an individual, Emerson stresses that one has to be a risk taker, and disregard all things external.
I agree with the statement Benjamin Anastas makes about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “self-reliance” of how it is “the most pernicious piece of literature in the American canon” (Anastas 602-603). One reason why I agree with Anastas is that Emerson believes the people are timid and apologetic and do not have opinions of their own. Another reason why I stand alongside Anastas is that Emerson thinks people are afraid of each other and the truth(s) that others have are but quotes from a saint or sage. My final reason that I believe Anastas is correct is due to Emerson believing our society does not gain anything new that makes life worth living.
...is parents, or materialistic items. Seeking for his independence is what led Chris to his adventure to Alaska. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “Self- Reliance”, an essay that stated how he believed how people should be self reliant. It also stated the steps to becoming independent. In his essay, he states, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” (Emerson). Emerson also believes in non-conformists, and states that all men should become nonconformists.”Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” (Emerson).
The first step in Emerson’s careerbuilder was to go to school, so he was entered into Harvard at the age of fourteen. His educational experience carried him through his teens, and around the age of twenty-five, he was still following the path his mother and aunt had dug out for him. Emerson had been accepted for a job at Boston's Second Church. He worked at that ministry for several years, and then his transcendentalist side began to appear.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The American Scholar ; Self-reliance ; Compensation. N.p.: American Book, 1893. Print.
One recurring theme of this era of American literature was the idea of establishing independence for the United States from the historical ties to Europe. A cry went out for Americans to marvel in the wonders of their own backyard, rather than to look overseas to the previously dominant western European nations. Emerson was no exception to this movement and took time during his “The American Scholar'; lecture to speak of the need for the present generation of Americans to establish their own history: “Each age, it is found, must write its own books; or rather, each generation for the next succeeding. The books of an older period will not fit this.'; Emerson called for active, original thought on the part of American scholars and criticized those who wrote as they: “set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles.'; His criticism more specifically, was directed to those scholars who looked abroad for inspiration, only to find: “That which had been negligently trodden under foot by those who were harnessing and provisioning themselves for long journies into far countries, [are] suddenly found to be richer than all foreign parts.
“What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think.” (Emerson, 552) demonstrates that Emerson wants individuals to discover their true self that have unique way of thinking and should have a strong sense of self; The strong sense of self is also presented by “A great man is coming to eat at my house. I do not wish to please him: I wish that he should wish to please me.” (Emerson, 555) while stating that nobody’s ideas should be less valued. Through “The one thing in the world of value, is, the active soul, --the soul, free, sovereign, active.” (Emerson, 539) he shows his preference of resisting influences thinkers in past brings because he believes individuals nowadays can come up with better ideas and reading old ones will hold creativity back. In case that Emerson sticks with the stand that everybody can look into themselves carefully and bring up brand new and great thoughts to contribute to the world, he has no compassion toward poor people. If each individual has ability to be self-reliant, and then the only reason why poor people are poor is that they do not even try to manage their destiny. Therefore, unlike Franklin, Emerson questions “Are they my poor?” (Emerson, 552) to blame poor people.
If I can successfully shape my life around ideas of self-reliance I can be exactly who I want to be. I look around me and don’t want to conform to society’s standards, I recognize that there is an easy way out, but try my best to remain true to myself by following my heart with pure conviction. Because of my desire to remain true to myself, I closely identify with Emerson in “Self-Reliance”: “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, - that is genius.”
The chief entities of individualism come in regards to man, every man. The element of this philosophy is a, “Sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. Individualism holds that a civilized society, or any form of association, cooperation or peaceful coexistence among men, can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rights…” (Rand 129). This very belief ties in with the transcendentalist lifestyle as the idea of thinking for oneself without the rules set by society rises to the scale. Individuals tend to exclude the imposed rules of society, and instead, live a more naturalistic life. While adopting the transcendentalist lifestyle, Americans would only prosper, as the room for innovative thinking would have no boundaries. There would be more independency in the world, resulting in greater numbers of leaders rather then followers. Instead of following under the confines of oth...