'Transcendentalism In Gary Keillor's Self-Reliance'

Transcendentalism is a major romantic movement during the 19th century. It was a period of romance where people learned to love themselves. The poem Self-Reliance, is by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In this excerpt, he emphasizes the traits of being a transcendentalist. The selection Tia Chucha, is by Luis Rodriguez. In the poem, she gossips about her aunt Chucha and her unique personalities. The anecdote Gary Keillor, is by Garrison Keillor. It is about a boy named Gary, who joins a school talent show and encounters many obstacles, both mentally and socially. Transcendentalism is an appealing philosophy because it encourages individuals to rely on themselves, to ignore other’s accusations, and to accept one’s unique place. Transcendentalism is an appealing philosophy because it encourages individuals to rely on themselves. Emerson claims, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 364). The author explains by trusting oneself, a person can truly be content with their life. The individual will be happy in what they do and wherever they go. Additionally, nothing is permanent to an individual except for the individual himself. Being dependent on another would only lead to a habit, which

During the road trip to Colorado, Gary received an important possession. Keillor writes, “I had my lucky picture in my pocket, the one of me in the mountains” (Keillor 341). Gary treasures his picture and refers to it when he needs support. He accepts his own unique place where he can truly be happy. In school, Gary accepts the fact that he is the only student in his class that writes poems. Being a child who has an interest in poetry is rare. Gary is proud of his place in class to be the only one writing poems. Accepting the unique place of an individual is significant and to be able to do that would only make the individual a fascinating