Personal Information
Name : Khushi R. Rathod
Batch :2023-25
Roll No : 16
Enrollment Number : 5108230039
Semester : 2
E- mail : khushirathod1863@gmail.com
Assignment Details
Paper No : 108
Paper Code :22401
Paper Name : The American Literature
Topic : "Exploring Transcendentalism: Its Influence on Literature and the Transcendentalist Perspective"
Submitted to :Smt.S.B.Gardi, Department of English,MKBU
Topic : "Exploring Transcendentalism: Its Influence on Literature and the Transcendentalist Perspective"
Ans
Table of Contents :-
Transcendentalism
What is Transcendentalism?
Major Transcendentalist Values
Transcendentalist in Literature :
Henry David Thoreau
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Margaret Fuller
"Solitude" from Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance"
Margaret Fuller's essay "The Great Lawsuit
Transcendentalism :
Transcend = to go above , beyond
To go above and beyond the limitation of the senses and everyday experiences.
We can go beyond by depending on our intuition rather than on reason and logic.
The key word for transcendentalism is simplicity.
What is Transcendentalism?
It’s all about spirituality. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that began in the mid-19th century and whose founding members included Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. It centers around the belief that spirituality cannot be achieved through reason and rationalism, but instead through self-reflection and intuition. In other words, transcendentalists believe spirituality isn’t something you can explain; it’s something you feel. A transcendentalist would argue that going for a walk in a beautiful place would be a much more spiritual experience than reading a religious text.
The transcendentalism movement arose as a result of a reaction to Unitarianism as well as the Age of Reason. Both centered on reason as the main source of knowledge, but transcendentalists rejected that notion. Some of the transcendentalist beliefs are:
Humans are inherently good
Society and its institutions such as organized religion and politics are corrupting. Instead of being part of them, humans should strive to be independent and self-reliant
Spirituality should come from the self, not organized religion
Insight and experience are more important than logic
Nature is beautiful, should be deeply appreciated, and shouldn’t be altered by humans
Major Transcendentalist Values
The transcendentalist movement encompassed many beliefs, but these all fit into their three main values of individualism, idealism, and the divinity of nature.
Individualism
Perhaps the most important transcendentalist value was the importance of the individual. They saw the individual as pure, and they believed that society and its institutions corrupted this purity. Transcendentalists highly valued the concept of thinking for oneself and believed people were best when they were independent and could think for themselves. Only then could individuals come together and form ideal communities.
Idealism
The focus on idealism comes from Romanticism, a slightly earlier movement. Instead of valuing logic and learned knowledge as many educated people at the time did, transcendentalists placed great importance on imagination, intuition and creativity. They saw the values of the Age of Reason as controlling and confining, and they wanted to bring back a more “ideal” and enjoyable way of living.
Divinity of Nature
Transcendentalists didn’t believe in organized religion, but they were very spiritual. Instead of believing in the divinity of religious figures, they saw nature as sacred and divine. They believed it was crucial for humans to have a close relationship with nature, the same way religious leaders preach about the importance of having a close relationship with God. Transcendentalists saw nature as perfect as it was; humans shouldn’t try to change or improve it.
Henry David Thoreau
In "Walden," Thoreau talks about living simply and paying attention to nature. He lived alone in a cabin by a pond for two years, learning from nature and reflecting on life.In "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau argues that people should follow their conscience, even if it means disobeying unjust laws. His ideas influenced famous leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.Thoreau believed in the importance of nature for personal growth and understanding. He saw nature as a teacher and a source of inspiration.Later in his life, Thoreau became more interested in science and continued to write about nature. He also spoke out against slavery and injustice.Thoreau's ideas have influenced many people, including environmentalists and philosophers. He continues to be an important figure in American thought.
"Solitude" from Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Nature and Solitude :-
Thoreau was a prominent figure in the transcendentalist movement, which celebrated the spiritual and philosophical significance of nature.He intentionally lived a simple life near Walden Pond.Thoreau viewed nature as a source of inspiration and spiritual insight.Nature's and Solitude's great impact on the Thoreau.The natural environment served as a profound source of solitude. A sanctuary where he could retreat from the complexities of societal life.Thoreau's solitude is intricately linked with the serene and untouched beauty of the natural world.
Spiritual Growth in Solitude :-
Thoreau delves into the transformative power of solitude on one's spiritual journey. He emphasizes the profound connection between spending time alone in nature and deepening one's awareness of the spiritual dimensions of life. Thoreau, inspired by transcendentalist ideals, suggests that by immersing oneself in solitude, away from the distractions of society, individuals can attune themselves to the subtle rhythms of the universe. Through contemplation and introspection in nature's solitude, he argues, one can unlock a heightened spiritual awareness, fostering personal growth and a profound connection with the divine.
"I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude"
- Walden
Ralph Waldo Emerson :
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a famous thinker in old-time America. He was into writing and philosophy. He was curious about Asia and the Middle East, even though he didn't know much about them firsthand. He read a lot and wrote about their ideas, but sometimes he got things wrong. He encouraged people to think for themselves and resist bad stuff, like British rule in India.
After some life changes, he became a famous speaker and writer. He talked about nature and how people should think. Sometimes he wrote about ideas that sounded like Asian ones, even though he didn't speak their languages.
Emerson's ideas about the East weren't always perfect, but he introduced Americans to Asian cultures. Even though he made mistakes, he helped people understand different ways of thinking.
Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance":
The main idea of "Self-Reliance" is for individuals to trust and follow their own thoughts and intuitions rather than conforming to the will of the majority. Emerson encourages the reader to think for themselves and have a proper self-trust.
Some of the major points Emerson makes include:
- Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. People should be willing to contradict themselves and change their minds as they gain new insights.
- Envy is ignorance and imitation is suicide. Each person should follow their own unique path rather than envying or imitating others.
- Self-reliant people are divine, capable, and do not need external sources to be great. The way of life is through abandonment to the natural way things are.
- Society everywhere is pushing conformity on the individual. But great minds resist the conformity of society and remain self-reliant.
- Prayer and conformity to external rules pacify people and lead to self-distrust. True prayer and relationship with the universal spirit comes through self-trust.
The way of life is abandonment, plunging into the abyssal depths of solitude where the still small voice of intuition may be heard above the clamors of society. Spurn the vain flattery of the crowd which would pacify thy spirit into falsity and meekness. Be a generous taker of the way from man, not to man - the footprints of the herd only lead in weary circles.
The overarching message is to cultivate individualism, resist social conformity, and trust one's own intuitive ideas and primary beliefs rather than unquestioningly adopting the thoughts and will of others. Self-reliance leads to living divinely through adhering to one's own genuine thoughts.
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Margaret Fuller
Margaret Fuller was an influential American writer and thinker who lived in the 19th century. She was born in Massachusetts in 1810 and died in a tragic shipwreck in 1850. Fuller was known for her efforts to improve society, especially for women.. She also translated a book about Goethe, a famous German writer, and became friends with important people like Ralph Waldo Emerson.Fuller taught classes for women in Boston and wrote about literature and philosophy. Her most famous book, "Woman in the Nineteenth Century," argued that women should have more freedom and opportunities. It caused a big debate when it was published in 1845.
Later, Fuller became a newspaper critic and traveled to Europe. She reported on events like the Italian revolution and even got married secretly. Sadly, she died in a shipwreck while returning to the United States, along with her husband and child. A manuscript she was working on was lost with them.
Margaret Fuller's essay "The Great Lawsuit"
According to the article, Margaret Fuller's essay "The Great Lawsuit: Man versus Men. Woman versus Women" was first published in the July 1843 issue of The Dial magazine. The essay later formed the basis for her book Woman in the Nineteenth Century, published in 1845.
Some key points about "The Great Lawsuit" :
- It was the original essay that Fuller expanded into the book Woman in the Nineteenth Century.
- In the essay, Fuller argued for full equality for women and challenged existing gender hierarchies and sexual practices.
- The essay incorporated the platform logic of women's rights and antislavery activists like Angelina Grimké and Abigail Kelley Foster.
- Fuller wrote frankly about topics like women's sexual bondage in marriage and condemned male sexual license.
- The essay reflected Fuller's developing "formative attitudes" towards women's issues that she explored further in her conversations/discussions with women in Boston.
- The essay utilized rhetorical strategies like introducing different voices (anonymous characters, historical figures) to make her arguments in a conversational, non-didactic way.
So in summary, "The Great Lawsuit" was an influential early feminist essay by Fuller that formed the core of her groundbreaking book on women's rights and equality. It reflected her evolving views developed through her teaching, conversations, and study of rhetoric.
"There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman."
- Margaret Fuller
Reference :-
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Margaret Fuller". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-Fuller. Accessed 26 April 2024.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Ralph Waldo Emerson.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ralph-waldo-emerson. Accessed 26 April 2024.
Hodder, Alan D. “‘After a High Negative Way’: Emerson’s ‘Self-Reliance’ and the Rhetoric of Conversion.” The Harvard Theological Review, vol. 84, no. 4, 1991, pp. 423–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1510183. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Kolodny, Annette. “Inventing a Feminist Discourse: Rhetoric and Resistance in Margaret Fuller’s Woman in the Nineteenth Century.” New Literary History, vol. 25, no. 2, 1994, pp. 355–82. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/469453. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Sarikas, Christine. “What Is Transcendentalism? Understanding the Movement.” PrepScholar Blog, https://blog.prepscholar.com/transcendentalism-definition-movement. Accessed 26 April 2024.
Thoreau, Henry David. “Henry David Thoreau.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/henry-david-thoreau. Accessed 26 April 2024.
Wielgus, Margot, et al. “Solitude & Thinking.: Henry David Thoreau.” Anthropologie Der Theorie, edited by Thomas Jürgasch and Tobias Keiling, Mohr Siebeck GmbH and Co. KG, 2017, pp. 209–24. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvrs90hh.12. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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