Joe Versus The Volcano

In Contemporary Literature, key philosophies are still pertinent of Romanticism Literature. In the 1990 film, Joe Versus the Volcano, Joe embodies the framework of Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance.” For example, Emerson’s notion of “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds… With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do” (210), signified how an individual will not grow when he/she has consistency. This philosophical assumption is key in his everyday life because he lacks the idea of doing something new. Everyday his movements and steps are constant and tiresome, there is never a change in his style or technique. Additionally, the atmosphere that surrounds Joe is constantly repetitive with the same depressing coworkers and their matching grey suits. The background song, 16 tons, demonstrates how workers should sell their soul to their company and how their debt grows deeper as the another day passes. Because of this repetitious and almost automatic environment, Joe’s downfall focuses on the ability of trying something new, resulting in the lack of individuality.

Thoreau’s statement, “if a few were to live aloof” (236), supports the reasoning behind Joe’s journey: to live away from things of men. Thoreau’s main point in writing this essay was to explain how the people can make things happen, not the government. After Joe experiences life without some kind of manipulative control, he feels like he has a fresh start to his life. As he sits on a makeshift raft, he exclaims how “life is unbelievable.” Joe’s development reflects on nature’s beauty and how the over-soul revolves around three main themes: God, man, and,