Summary Of Speech To The Virginia Convention, By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Although Speech to the Virginia Convention, by Patrick Henry, Self-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, by Jonathan Edwards all represent something different to their respective readers, they all define the role of the individual as believing in something in order to better the greater good and community. In Speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry states belief in patriotism and how fighting for this cause is for the greater good of the colonies. In Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes about how believing in one’s self, can in turn make you great, as well as have a beneficial influence on the community. In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards writes about how those who believe in God can create a better community for themselves and others. The authors of all three texts define the …show more content…
By having a god and rules to live by, the person as well as the community can be benefitted as a result. Edwards demonstrates how converting to christianity can benefit one’s self,“The natural men are held in the hands of god, over the pit of hell; they deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it” (14). Edwards describes the need to believe in god because gos is the one thing that holds them over the pits of hell without dropping them in. By using images like “The pits of hell” and “The fiery Pits,” Edwards is able to show how god is truly a savior for all. By scaring the unconverted into believing in god, the community is able to benefit by unifying under a single good. Believing in a god has benefits for both the believer as well as the community. If the believer as well as those around them follow the rules given to them by god, a community can be formed under a single idea which is beneficial to everyone living in the