Transcendentalism In American Literature's An Episode Of War

As we view the evolvement of American literature, we begin to move away from the transcendentalist impressions of writers, and move toward a more realistic notion. The texts and authors of this era were greatly influenced by the circumstances around them: the American Civil War, the rush to the Alaskan Yukon for gold, or the Industrial Revolution, which incited them to see the world in a different light than those before them. To a reader with little to no knowledge on the background of the author or the subject, the texts may appear pessimistic or bleak, but with the insight on what was happening during this time period, one recognizes the influence those events had on the authors. Writers coming after Transcendentalism saw the world for what …show more content…
The population of each side eulogized war because they each wanted their own way of life, and they were willing to do anything to get it, but those that were not directly involved in combat did not see the real horrors that transpired during battle. The lieutenant returns home and is praised for his bravery, but he does not feel like he was brave but he rather feels ashamed: “When he reached home, his sisters, his mother, his wife, sobbed for a long time at the sight of the flat sleeve. “Oh, well,” he said, standing shamefaced amid these tears, “I don’t suppose it matters so much as all that.”” He was a war hero, but in his own mind he is ashamed for coming home like he did. Those looking in from the outside saw the war for what they were going to get out of it, but they did not see it from the perspective of the soldiers who were almost treated like criminals, especially after they were no longer useful on the field of battle: “His voice contained the same scorn as if he were saying: “You will have to go to …show more content…
Everyone that sees and meets him admires the superficial element of Richard Cory, but what he or she does not see is how he feels on the inside. Without actually associating with him and getting to know him, those looking in from the outside believe he is the happiest man because of the money and the material possessions he has, and it makes them want the same things he has: “In fine, we thought that he was everything/ To make us wish that we were in his place.” Richard Cory and the man from “To Build a Fire” are both similar and different. The man gives up his life striving to find the riches, but Richard Cory ends his own even though he already has the riches. He ends his own life because he had already achieved almost every thing he could in life, and all of the stuff he had did not make him happy, so he felt that there was nothing else worth living