The transcendentalists believed in individualism, equality, and optimism for the future, creating a time period where literature and arts prospered. With a Utopian society in mind, the reform for education, women’s rights, and slavery was put into motion. Over 150 years ago, Emerson and Thoreau wrote individual pieces displaying key transcendental beliefs. As with many works at the time, these papers still hold relevance to the 21st century and can be applied to modern citizens, such as Elizabeth Gilbert. As a novelist and memoirist, Gilbert tells the tale of her self-discovery in three parts that each displays a transcendental belief. Gilbert exhibits the quote “my life is for itself and not a spectacle” by branching out from society and