The Theme of Self-Reliance in Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Theme of Self-Reliance in Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson I will, in the following, discuss the theme of self-reliance in the above-mentioned texts. But what exactly is self-reliance? In his 1841 publication called Essays, Ralph Waldo Emerson includes an essay simply entitled Self-Reliance in which he states Trust thyself#8230;Great men have always done so and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age#8230; . Self-reliance is thus defined as the ability to be your own master and to seek your own fortune free from influences from your surroundings. Hawthorne wrote Young Goodman Brown in 1835, some 6 years before Emersons Self-Reliance. Still it is obvious from the text that the notion of self-reliance was, if†¦show more content†¦To the Puritans the individual mind was fragile and prone to heresy if tempted. Only united did they stand a chance against the endless temptations of the devil. This is exactly the notion against which Hawthorne revolts. Had Goodman Brown had the willpower and the self-esteem necessary, he would have prevailed. With the ability to trust in one-self comes the ability to deal with any problem that life might throw in ones way, even the temptations of the soul. Thus we see the idea of self-reliance creeping into view. Samuel L. Clemens first published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884, a time where the idea of self-reliance was firmly established in the minds of the American people. The narrator and main protagonist Huck Finn is a young boy already introduced to the public in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) in which Huck is a runaway. He lives in an old barrel free of all obligations and is generally a happy boy. As Tom Sawyer progresses the boys help find a band of highwaymen, get them arrested and punished, and become rich in the process. Huck gets himself adopted by the Widow Douglas and this is where we encounter him in the beginning of Huckleberry Finn. Although he has been given everything the society deemed appropriate at the time (i.e. a family, a home etc.) Huck finds himself uncomfortable in his new clothing, unable to conform to strict house rules enforced upon him by the widow (#8230;TheShow MoreRelatedEssay On Chris Mccandless969 Words   |  4 Pageshe disappeared from his family, this also explains his narcissism as he only ever had to care for himself. In Into the Wild, Chris Mccandless believes that an individual’s purpose is to be unique and to avoid being conformed by civilization. Ralph Waldo Emerson views a persons purpose as to not conform, however he advises to be well versed in a vast majority of areas, both of these authors view non-conformity as the most important trait a person may have and view civilization as evil. Chris McCandlessRead MoreTranscendentalism And The American Renaissance1693 Words   |  7 Pagesapart of the American Renaissance reform called, Transcendentalism. 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