Concord

In his essay, “Walking,” Henry David Thoreau discusses a number of ideas on wilderness and society, and makes several bold claims about society’s detrimental effect on the “wild.” He begins by expressing his affinity for taking long walks on which he “saunters” outdoors. Thoreau explains that not everyone is equipped with the necessary disposition for these types of journeys and says, “no wealth can buy the requisite leisure, freedom, and independence which are the capital in this profession.”…

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley explores the topic of identity through the lens of nature versus nurture. Shelley argues that neither of these things makes the man, but rather that the decisions they make effect themselves and those around them. Victor Frankenstein claims to have been raised in a very healthy and nurturing environment. Frankenstein’s monster wasn’t raised in the home of a wealthy family, and instead woke suddenly in the lab of his creator, scared and mostly alone. These…

During the 1820s and 1830s, a key group of independent thinkers promoted an idea called transcendentalism. It was a literary movement that focused on ideas such as self reliance, being yourself rather than trying to impress others, and human reason. (Barcelo). Various icons such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, expressed their ideas of the movement of independent thinking in essays such as “Walden”, “Civil Disobedience”, and “ Self Reliance”. In addition, movies such as “Dead Poet’s…

One of the most influential and prominent times of the American history was the Transcendentalist period. Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1800s. Transcendentalists believed in many aspects, however their central ideas focused on the inherent goodness of both people and nature. Influential Transcendentalists included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Frederic Henry Hedge. They believed that that the purity of the individual could be corrupted…

One of the most unique and dedicated thinkers of all time, Henry David Thoreau was obsessed with the idealism of transcendentalist philosophy. In fact, he actually tested his beliefs at Walden Pond, making himself a living example of the contemporary movement. Transcendentalism, a branch of social reform in the mid-1800’s, stressed human divinity and the importance of nature and intuition. Rejecting indulgences and extravagance, Thoreau sought to purify society by bringing it back to its roots.…

Influence on Nature Nature is all around us. How people choose to treat the nature is up to them, as well as how they choose to perceive it. Transcendentalism is the belief that in order to learn more about oneself, they must go beyond themselves and what they think. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau both have very similar ideas about nature and how people treat it in their everyday lives. Both Emerson and Thoreau both believe people can’t own nature, all of our actions affect nature…

Transcendentalism was a movement in philosophy, literature and religion that emerged in the nineteenth century to have originated from New England. The popular movement flourished in America after the American and Industrial Revolution. The philosophical movement expressed and reformed a new way of ideas that changed the way man understood their beliefs, along with knowing where their place is in the world while the society was changing. Transcendental philosophy as well saw that nature…

Well known essayist, lecturer and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his text, “Self Reliance”, asserts that each individual should avoid conformity and follow his/her own ideologies to achieve a more enriched life. Emerson’s purpose is to impress upon the reader the idea that they should not conform their lives to the ideology of society; rather they should pursue their own individual paths consisting of their own actions and ideas. He utilizes an encouraging tone to express to the readers that it…

Henry David Thoreau was a man of intelligence, brilliance, and success. He was a Harvard graduate and an educator. He was an activist against the Mexican war and slavery. People never really understood Thoreau. He was a man that seem to have difficulty getting along with others, yet he has “great qualities of intellect and character,” as his close friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne described. Thoreau was an adventurous man who wanted to find out what life is. He tries to figure this out by living a…

Henry Thoreau and Ralph Emerson both present strong morals in their essays. Thoreau completely cuts himself off from society for two years. In these two years he learned that people are too materialistic, and believes people do not understand what is truly important. He thinks that we are living how society tells us too rather than understanding what we are actually doing. While Emerson never completely disconnected from civilization, he also conveys ideas about the importance of not being a…