The Transcendentalist

a place of horror and monsters, or a place of retreat, or simply something that exists. Widely, it appears that society now doesn’t have the appreciation of nature that was once held by our ancestors. Henry David Thoreau was one of America’s transcendentalists, had a profound respect for nature and what it could teach us. “…as with many generations of nature writers, including Henry David Thoreau…the lessons to be imparted are learned from long experience with and observation of nature,”…

Midnight Rising: John Brown and the raid that sparked the Civil War is written by Tony Horwitz: a bestselling author and journalist who has taken the time to tell an essential American story. The book covers the events surrounding the raid on Harpers Ferry and the complex character of John Brown. Horwitz thesis explains that the raid on Harpers Ferry is the spark that lit the fire of secession and Civil War. John Brown grew as a descendent of Puritans and soldiers from the Revolutionary War, and…

if it was ever inside her, virtually vanishes and she is left with her dark soul. “Here had been her sin; here her sorrow; and here has yet to be her penitence” (Hawthorne, 179). Hawthorne throughout the novel had shown Hester as more of a transcendentalist, having a free spirit and doing what she wanted to do. This is how the whole affair happened, and where the scarlet letter came from. However, as the novel came to a close the reader learns that through it all, even when she stood up for…

Transcendentalism In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”, he expresses that one should never conform but instead follow one’s own mind. He wrote this while he helped start the Transcendentalist movement. In Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”, he explains that it is okay to disobey the rule of law if it is unjust. This is written in response to the questions he was ask on why he went to jail. Both of these works were published around the same time. “Self-Reliance” was published in 1841…

Chris McCandless wrote in his journal: “Happiness is best when shared” when he was living on his own in the wild of Alaska. This statement can be viewed as deeply ironic considering McCandless intentionally severed his connections from society to be alone. What was his motive to do something so drastic? Jon Krakauer, a man of adventure and thrill seeking searched for an answer, and in his search he discovered the similarities between himself and Chris. Captivated by McCandless’ journey for…

“The very word “transcend” connotes moving beyond some stultifying condition of mind or body” (Rahn). “(Especially in Transcendentalism) a divine spirit supposed to pervade the universe and to encompass all human souls” (Transcendentalism). Transcendentalists, “[…] emphasizing instead ‘self-reliance’ and self-expression as their primary values (Wayne viii).” “The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried”…

“Henry David Thoreau devoted his energies to exploring the spiritual relationship between humanity and nature and to living by his political and social beliefs.” As said by Sam Erickson. Thoreau was a transcendentalist and is known today as one of the “Big Three” in American Literature along with Walt Whitman and Ralph Emerson. Thoreau devoted his life to explore the importance of humanity and nature. For two years Thoreau lived in a cabin he built at Walden Pond. It was here where he wrote…

Ralph Emerson was a principal figure in the Transcendentalist movement of the 1840s, in addition to, he was also a well-known essayist and poet. His 1841 essay, “Self-Reliance”, emphasizes the importance of people acquiring their identity along with being true to themselves. Throughout his essay, Emerson strains the significance of individuals avoiding conformity and following their own thoughts and judgments. Emerson obtains his goal of conveying his message by generating multifarious…

Everyone 's become too dependent on what they are used to having without working for it, but what if something went wrong? Where would we be then? Money is central, it causes war, poverty, disagreements and it gets to people 's heads. War is ongoing, in too many countries of the world. Yet so many people turn a blind eye to it, not enough people care. Eventually, we will be brought back to a more natural way of living by one means or another. If we choose to live more harmoniously, we can still…

being. These rights preserve the inherent dignity every person is entitled. Human rights cannot be taken, or destroyed by others or oneself. Everyone has equal dignity at all stages of life. They are note susceptible to the notion of change, are transcendentalist, and immune to the forces of degrogration. After the horrors of World War II, the nations of the world came together to preserve these humans rights in writing, through The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN, 1948). This document…