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Transcendentalist vs. Christianity, 2002.
A discussion of the differences between Transcendentalism and Christianity.
1,900 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 10 sources, $ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper traces the difference between Transcendentalism and Christianity and suggests that the development of the former was on the basis of Unitarianism.
From the Paper
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Henry David Thoreau: The Complex Struggle for Simplicity, 2002.
A discussion of how the life and mentality of Henry David Thoreau were shaped by America during the Gilded Age.
2,842 words (approx. 11.4 pages), 13 sources, MLA, $ 84.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the life of Henry David Thoreau, recognized as one of the great writers of America and a product of the New England transcendental movement. It examines how Thoreau's life was greatly influenced by his friends and family when he was young and how his family and their abolitionist views provided a foundation for Thoreau's seemingly eclectic ideals which later showed themselves in many of his actions. It analyzes how "Walden" and many other works were written when Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years to isolate himself from society and to expand his transcendentalist philosophies. It shows how Thoreau's views on society and his transcendentalist philosophies have hugely impacted many people in today's society and how his writings and ideals have left a lasting legacy in the minds of Americans throughout the years.
From the Paper
"Christened David Henry by his father, John Thoreau, and his mother, Cynthia Dunbar, Thoreau ?was a product of heterogeneous ancestry?Scotch, English, and French? (Harding 1). He later changed his name, for reasons he would never reveal, to Henry David. The Thoreau family was known as a family of independent thinkers, and the ideas and moral traits that he was exposed to as a boy helped to build his character. Thoreau?s mother was a strong-minded woman who was actively concerned with abolitionist issues and social work, as well as an immanent interest in natural history. The family had even harbored fugitive slaves, which instilled in Thoreau an abolitionist conviction. Thoreau worked with his father for a short time producing graphite for pencil lead, but ?his father?s long series of business failures during Thoreau?s youth must have had a profound influence on Thoreau?s outlook toward society? (Harding 102). Thoreau was introduced to the daughter of a Unitarian minister, Ellen Sewall, on July 30, 1839."
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Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2004.
A biography of the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson as a Transcendentalist and also as an abolitionist.
1,036 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson, born in Boston, Mass., on May 25, 1803, a philosopher, essayist, and poet. It looks at how Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the Transcendentalists, a group of thinkers that also included Henry David Thoreau, who were interested in a spirituality that had little to do with formalized religion. It also explores how he was an abolitionist and how he held true to his beliefs, taking action individually to advance his ideas regarding the remaking of his world into one more in accord with what he saw as the natural state of man. That natural state, for Emerson, included culture, freedom of religion, and considerate treatment of others. It looks at how it was only natural that he would extend its reach beyond the Native American to the American slave and how he reconciled those activities with his belief in individuality by viewing the abolitionist movement as a group of individuals acting on their own at the same time to accomplish a greatly desired change in their world.
From the Paper
"Perhaps the least known of Emerson?s actions taken to change his world concerned abolitionism. As early as 1844, Emerson was commenting in public on the ?Emancipation of the Negroes in the British West Indies,? which historians say was a departure from his previous thoughts on abolition. But that summer, he refined his thoughts on the divisive issue, and in keeping with his belief that action must follow thought, he became an active abolitionist, setting forth his beliefs in the Emancipation address in Concord, Mass., on August 1, 1844. Biographer Len Gougeon, in his book Virtue?s Hero: Emerson, Antislavery and Reform, concluded that with that speech, Emerson ?made the transition from antislavery to abolition.? (Quoted by Earhart, 1999)"
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Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jonathan, 2005.
A comparative analysis of life according to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jonathan Edwards.
1,677 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses two great American thinkers: The nineteenth-century transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson and the eighteenth-century Puritan, Jonathan Edwards. The paper compares these two great thinkers, noting that Emerson's Romanticism era was based on the value of the individual and the beauty of the natural world, while Edwards' era focused on the Puritan idea of innate depravity and praise to God in heaven, and relates that this comparison thus illustrates how the mentalities of these scholars are profoundly dissimilar in several aspects. The paper then contrasts the philosophies of Edwards and Emerson by examining their views on man, spirituality and religion, and nature.
From the Paper
"The somewhat self-centered attitude portrayed in Emerson's work has led some to believe that he considers mankind as God's equal - as if the world, in Emerson's view, revolves around man's thoughts and feelings; however, Edwards' position is that human life is controlled and monitored by God Himself. In contrast to Emerson's idea of man being somewhat supreme beings whose ways are right if he believes them to be so, Edwards advocates the Puritan philosophy of innate depravity. In his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards insists that mankind as a whole is sinful in nature and must obtain salvation from above in order to be at peace. "Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it," Edwards states, "he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do" (501). "
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Emerson and Thoreau, 2001.
This essay is a brief look at the transcendentalist movement in literature accredited to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 24.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the works of Thoreau and Emerson and the birth of the transcendentalist movement in U.S. literature. The author looks at Emerson's essay "Self Reliance" and "The American Scholar" and Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and "Walden".
From the Paper
"Henry Thoreau and Ralph Emerson were two of the romantic American writers of the transcendentalist movement, which in essence stresses that less is more, that nature is to be studied, to be a true intellect you must read the classics and that living a life off the beaten path is more satisfying than one on the beaten path. Though Emerson began his writings first, Thoreau and Emerson are both credited with this movement. Emerson was clearly the founder of this initial movement, but Thoreau?s writings were also critically acclaimed."
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"The Masque of the Red Death", 1997.
Examines short story's symbols of death, related to Ralph Waldo Emerson's transcendentalist world view.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 12 sources, $ 87.95
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From the Paper
"The purpose of this research is to examine symbolism in "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe in connection with transcendentalism as articulated by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The plan of the research will be to set forth a definition of transcendentalism and then to discuss how imagery in Poe's story can be discussed in relationship to Emersonian transcendentalism.
Transcendentalism is the name given to a personalist metaphysics associated with the so-called Concord School of Philosophy, which articulated a recognition in man of the capacity of knowing truth intuitively, or of attaining knowledge transcending the reach of the senses. In the transcendentalist view, there are certain laws of religion and metaphysics in the spiritual world that can be known even though not directly experienced. Because the mind makes intuitions, leaping from the .."
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American Transcendentalism, 2007.
This paper analyzes the transcendentalist school, known as American Transcendentalism, a movement started in the nineteenth century in New England with the publication of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Nature".
1,240 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the concept of transcendentalism is often used in religious and philosophical debates to describe the characteristic of divinity, the feature of God to transcend being and the immanent world. The author relates that famous intellectuals of the time such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, George Putnam, Elisabeth Palmer Peabody and Frederick Henry Hedge shaped this movement with the founding of the Transcendental Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1836. The paper concludes that the philosophy and evolution of the philosophical and religious perspective of transcendentalism should be seen only within the larger frame of the dominant ideology of the time and of the epistemological barriers and rigid framework, which were dominant in the universities of the time.
From the Paper
"For Emerson, on the other hand, the unity between the soul and the nature is announced even since the publication of his work "Nature". Here, he expressed that all the beings in the Nature are interconnected with each other and with the infinite Oversoul, or Nature. The reverberations of individual acts are felt within the entire system as consequences and the individual has not only the ability to decide autonomously about his acts, but also the duty to deal with the consequences of his own actions, when confronted to his own internal intuition, with his soul."
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Transcendentalism and Thoreau, 2002.
A paper which discusses Henry David Thoreau, his writings and the Transcendentalist Movement.
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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A paper which introduces and discusses Transcendentalism - a philosophical movement which centered on the divinity of the individual - in Henry David Thoreau's works, paying particular attention to "The Maine Woods," "Walden," and "A Plea for Captain John Brown." In particular, it discusses how Thoreau's works fit and do not fit the definition of Transcendentalism, and how he viewed the Brook Farm Experiment - a trial in putting together a Utopian society by a group of New Englanders.
From the Paper
"In his later years, Thoreau became heavily involved with the Underground Railroad, and saving slaves who were running away from the South. His essay "A Plea for Captain John Brown" discusses his life, as well as his Transcendentalism, and his death because of his strong beliefs and work against slavery. This essay does not follow Thoreau's normal positive outlook on the world, as he has become unhappy with people of the time. He is no longer simply a sunny Transcendentalist, who longs for a simpler life, he is unhappy with his fellow man. "On the whole, my respect for my fellow-men, except as one may outweigh a million, is not being increased these days.""
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American Transcendentalism, 2008.
A study of American transcendentalism in the works of Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
1,580 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This study attempts to understand the early 19th century movement in New England called transcendentalism, according to Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, prominent American philosophers, essayists, and poets. The paper maintains that transcendentalists saw the necessity of following the examples of great leaders, writers, philosophers, and others, to show what an individual can become through thinking and action. The paper relates that transcendentalists also believed that one must have faith in intuition, for no church or creed can communicate truth and that true reform comes from within.
From the Paper
"Transcendentalism was born against the Unitarian church. It questioned the established cultural forms, reintegrated spirit and matter and tried to turn their ideas into concrete action. Transcendentalists viewed knowledge and cultural forms not as perpetual truths but as temporary constructions, and insisted that all such constructions be open to the tests of continuing experience. Emerson briefly summarizes the transcendental understanding with his famous quote, "We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds..." He later explains the concept of self-reliance in transcendental thinking in one of his essays, Self-Reliance."
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Transcendentalism, 2002.
A discussion of Henry David Thoreau's experience of transcendentalism.
1,425 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Henry David Thoreau, in "Walden", or "Life in the Woods", describes, among many other experiences, the transcendental life-style he experienced in his two-year experiment at Walden Pond. It looks at how the experiment at Walden was for Thoreau an attempt to live within nature, to "transcend" not real life but the prison of society and conformity which alienates man from himself, from others and from the spiritual reality which is the essence of nature. It shows how although Thoreau did not consider himself and would never have considered himself, a member of any group which confined his individualism and independence, his outlook on life, nature and man's primary concerns in life and nature coincided with many of the essential Transcendentalist principles. His experiences and writings in Walden reflect his alignment with the Transcendentalists.
From the Paper
"Thoreau's transcendentalism is in part simply living in nature simply and economically, nurturing and restoring his spirit through a subtle communion with nature, a communion which does not negate the mind and reason, but which exercises and strengthens the mind and reason. His focus on the details of living economically in nature bespeaks the kind of balance in which the animals and plants in the ecology also live. He takes from nature only what he needs and he uses what efficiently everything he takes."
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Saul Bellow's "Herzog" and the Notion of Identity, 2008.
An analysis of the many aspects of Moses Herzog's personality as portrayed in Saul Bellow's "Herzog."
13,297 words (approx. 53.2 pages), 30 sources, MLA, $ 249.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the content of Saul Bellow's novel, Herzog." It specifically focuses on the many sides of Herzog's personality that emerge throughout the course of the book. It discusses Herzog as an intellectual, as transcendentalist, as an immigrant, as a Jewish American, as emblematic of the city and as a writer. The paper concludes that we are left with a portrait of a complex, confused and difficult individual who none-the-less comes to terms with himself.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Herzog as Intellectual
Herzog as Transcendentalist
Herzog as Immigrant
Herzog as Jewish American
Herzog as Emblematic of the City
Herzog and the Role of Writing
Conclusion
From the Paper
"While this transcendentalist impulse keeps Herzog firmly rooted in the American tradition, he is never fully able to escape his European roots. As an immigrant, he is quintessentially American in a way - never fully "here" nor "there." He persistently holds on to the vestiges of the European tradition, as they are what unites him with history. He is afraid to let go of this history, afraid to fully let himself merge into the whimsicality of the present, and is thus afraid of the future. As Herzog remarks about the interior of a home: "The furniture was richly polished, old, of a vanished Central European epoch - but then this present epoch is vanishing, too, and perhaps faster than all the others" (Bellow 1964, p. 46).
"Like most of Bellow's protagonists, Moses Herzog is an American Jew. This positions him, despite his fairly conventional outlook on life, outside of the American mainstream, whether he likes it or not. Herzog feels most comfortable when he is in the company of other Jews, whether they be familial acquaintances or enemies - at least he knows where he stands with them."
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"The Blithedale Romance", 2002.
An examination of Nathaniel Hawthorne?s "The Blithedale Romance", which details the lives of several characters who live through the creation and eventual failure of a Utopian commune called Blithedale.
1,784 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 57.95
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Abstract
Based on his own experiences at a utopian farm in the 1840s, Hawthorne wrote "The Blithedale Romance" in order to show the deficiency of much of the Transcendentalist?s beliefs. This paper explains how Hawthorne uses the experience of his characters in Blithedale to critique Transcendentalist ideas, such as romantic idealism, ideal communities, the relationship of self to others, the possibility of a communal soul, and the possibility of an idealized pastoral world existing in contemporary society.
From the Paper
"While most of the characters begin their stay at Blithedale strongly believing in the romantic ideals that underlie the commune?s belief system, at the end of the novel, these beliefs are dramatically shaken. In fact, some of the characters begin to wonder what the worth of such idealistic devotions could be in the first place. Faced with a growing disillusionment with Blithedale, the loss of her family fortunes, and depressed by her unrequited love of Hollingsworth, Zenobia commits suicide by drowning herself. Indeed, while this decision might seem like a romantic, impulsive death, since she drowned herself out of love for another person, Westervelt questions the validity of such an intense romantic action."
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Identity: The Unique American Experience of Emerson, Thoreau and Fuller, 2002.
A look at Transcendental philosophy's outlook on American identity.
2,505 words (approx. 10.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 76.95
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Abstract
A look at this 19th century school of philosophy, with a focus on three main scholars - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller. All three of these Transcendentalists dealt with the identity of the "self" from different perspectives. The author finds that while they share several key elements - the notion of independence and "entitlement" in thought and action being chief among them?they also diverge on specific applications for the Transcendentalist philosophy.
From the Paper
"The American identity has a character and uniqueness all its own, not without obvious cause: never before was such a "grand experiment" of self-rule implemented on such a vast scale. Under the auspices of unprecedented liberty and self-determination, the American consciousness and identity developed with its own flavor and distinction, heavily weighted with the notions of individual freedoms, rights, and responsibilities.
American authors and scholars took that freedom to heart, emerging beyond mere scholarship and letters into the realms of philosophies that influence us to this day. In the nineteenth century, one of the major new philosophical schools of thought in America was the Transcendentalist movement, and a list of its primary "thinkers" now reads like a "Who's Who" of American literature. Among the names on the list are three whose philosophies we will touch on in this essay: Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller."
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Puritan Zeal in "The Birthmark", 2007.
An analysis of how Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts science in search of material perfection as a manifestation of Puritan zeal in "The Birthmark".
3,150 words (approx. 12.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 91.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how, throughout the story "The Birthmark", Hawthorne tells us that Puritan zeal is an evil and dangerous attitude, whether it is manifested through the capitalist's zeal for technological progress, or through the transcendentalist's zeal to spiritualize all acts and objects. The paper then endeavors to go beyond the simple interpretation which says that it is only a cautionary tale about science. It looks at how the protagonist is more truly characterized by Puritan zeal and how Hawthorne's protagonist is a scientist because the materialistic aspirations of the age had a large investment in science.
From the Paper
"We must first consider the Puritan heritage of America, which is an abiding theme in Hawthorne's work as a whole. The Puritan forefathers has brought with then an intense Calvinist faith, which was instrumental in forming the character of the new nation. The central tenet of this faith was 'sole fide', or 'justification by faith alone'. Calvinism was a reaction against the institutional basis of Catholicism, and therefore aimed to establish a personal communion with God, the only means to which was faith in Jesus Christ, and in the Bible as the words of God addressed directly to the believer. The Calvinist doctrine implied predestination, so that the believer is marked out by being in a state of grace. Only with grace are the words of God meaningful, and it is through the Bible that God establishes communion with the believer, and therefore confirms to believer that he or she is without sin."
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Literary Movements, 2008.
A comparative analysis of "An Outpost of Progress" by Joseph Conrad, "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau and "The Dead" by James Joyce.
2,013 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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This paper compares and contrasts the differences and the similarities of three stories under the light of different critical literary movements: "An Outpost of Progress" by Joseph Conrad, "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau and "The Dead" by James Joyce. The literary movements examined are realism, naturalism, romanticism, modernism and transcendentalism. More specifically, the paper looks at how James Joyce and Joseph Conrad are realists, modernists and naturalists because their stories have fidelity to the truth, they depict modern issues and both believe that nature has effects on people's behaviors. The paper also shows how, on the other hand, Henry David Thoreau is not a realist but a romantic because he believes in individualism and is also a transcendentalist who believes in the openness of the human mind.
From the Paper
"Conrad is strictly bound to reality. He criticizes the idea of imperialism and the western people's idea of bringing civilization to other parts of the world when the west itself needs to be civilized. The term Realism is also used to describe works of art which, in revealing a truth, may emphasize the ugly or sordid. The slavery, exchanging human beings with material things, murdering, and hatred are all seen in "An Outpost of Progress" These are the facts of Conrad's day and he indicates these in his narrating brilliantly. The following quotation is about the exchange of black men for some ivory and it clearly shows that Conrad is a sincere critique of his time towards the institutions and beliefs such as the white men's superiority to the black men."
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