“Everything in life can teach you a lesson, you just have to be willing to observe and learn” is a familiar phrase that can apply to nearly anything (Unknown). It can often apply to literature, especially American literature. Putting the quote into relation with American literature, there is lesson in every story written and read but the only way to find it is to be open to discover and understand. Often at times, the lesson is not openly written, so the reader would have to use the actions and results of the story to figure out the lesson. Romanticism is a movement of American literature; two other movements branch off from Romanticism and they are gothicism and transcendentalism. Romanticism, Gothicism, and Transcendentalism connect through
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The lesson is given through Thoreau’s experiences and his advice. The indicator that there is a lesson is when Thoreau explains how he buys property and sells it back to the owner. Usually this does not happen, so an explanation follows as to reasons why. He explains that he does not need much to live a good life, according to him all he needs is “ten cents, and seeds, and materials”(Thoreau 380). The action that he takes to convey his lesson is when he roams the woods and finds himself. Thoreau’s thoughts while in the woods were, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live sturdily and Spartanlike…” (Thoreau 383). The result of his action was learning how to live simply and trying it on his own. He gives advice on how to live simply when he says, “Simplify, simplify. Instead of three meals a day, it it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion”(Thoreau 383). Thoreau is really conveying his message with this quote because he is …show more content…
Gothicism and Transcendentalism are already connected to Romanticism because they branch from it, but that is not the only connection that they share. All three have lessons that relate back to one of the characteristics from that specific movement. Romanticism’s lesson from “The Birthmark” was that perfection causes destruction, which relates to the characteristic of the strong belief that man is able to be perfected through his own genius. Gothicism lesson from “Where Is Here?” is to not let people too close which relates to the characteristic of an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Transcendentalism’s lesson was to live simply shown in Walden; the lesson relates back to the characteristic of the individual being important. Just as in these stories, everything can teach a lesson, but someone has to be willing to pay attention and
The lesson is given through Thoreau’s experiences and his advice. The indicator that there is a lesson is when Thoreau explains how he buys property and sells it back to the owner. Usually this does not happen, so an explanation follows as to reasons why. He explains that he does not need much to live a good life, according to him all he needs is “ten cents, and seeds, and materials”(Thoreau 380). The action that he takes to convey his lesson is when he roams the woods and finds himself. Thoreau’s thoughts while in the woods were, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live sturdily and Spartanlike…” (Thoreau 383). The result of his action was learning how to live simply and trying it on his own. He gives advice on how to live simply when he says, “Simplify, simplify. Instead of three meals a day, it it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion”(Thoreau 383). Thoreau is really conveying his message with this quote because he is …show more content…
Gothicism and Transcendentalism are already connected to Romanticism because they branch from it, but that is not the only connection that they share. All three have lessons that relate back to one of the characteristics from that specific movement. Romanticism’s lesson from “The Birthmark” was that perfection causes destruction, which relates to the characteristic of the strong belief that man is able to be perfected through his own genius. Gothicism lesson from “Where Is Here?” is to not let people too close which relates to the characteristic of an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Transcendentalism’s lesson was to live simply shown in Walden; the lesson relates back to the characteristic of the individual being important. Just as in these stories, everything can teach a lesson, but someone has to be willing to pay attention and