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Examples Of Transcendentalism In Walden

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The writings of Jon Krakauer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Michael Donovan reflect some of the ideals of transcendentalism. In this essay, the writer will integrate, summarize, and explain the shared themes of their writings. Some of the ideals they share are staying in tune with nature and self-reliance. “Nature” by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a short story that shows the foundation of transcendentalism, a non-traditional appreciation of nature. He writes “ There I feel that nothing can befall me in life-no disgrace, no calamity(leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair.” This quote divulges that Emerson believes that nothing bad may happen to him that nature cannot fix. Henry David Thoreau also writes about the appreciation of nature in “Walden”. In the short story, Thoreau moved to the woods to learn to live deliberately. He yearned to learn what life had to teach him. He desired to live a purposeful life. Both short stories have a theme of admiration of nature. Both writers believe nature is the key to life and …show more content…

In Emerson’s short story, “Self-Reliance”, he writes that to be self-reliant one must stay true to themself and follow their own instincts. In the poem “It’s All-On-Me” by Michael Donovan, he writes “ It’s all-on-me…. therefore falls-onto-me, and becomes plain to see it’s gonna be all-up-to-me….” This quote shows that the narrator feels he is self-reliant and feels he must do everything himself. Chris McCandles, in the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, is perceived as a self-reliant hitchhiker. The novel divulges his travels to and in Alaska, given through stories and encounters by people he met on his journey. In chapter one, Chris assured Gallien “‘I won’t run into anything I can’t deal with on my own.”’ This shows he believed himself to be self-reliant. These three works all show elements of transcendentalism through self-reliance and staying true to one’s

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