In “Self-Reliance”, an essay by Ralph W. Emerson, he argues that greatness in a person comes from a person’s individuality. Emerson supports his claim by saying “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think” (Emerson line 21). This means that even though society “ Whips you with its displeasure” a person should not conform to society’s way of thinking because it is easy or because they will be looked down upon by others (Emerson 27). “Is it so bad then to be misunderstood… To be great is to be misunderstood” Emerson also uses allusion using famous people such as, Jesus, Copernicus, and many others to emphasize the greatness of being misunderstood (Emerson 32-35). Emerson explains to his audience that the famous people he
