Transcendentalism: Crazy but Insightful

“More servants wait on man than he’ll take notice of” –George Herbert

I think most of us can agree that we don’t really acknowledge the people and environment around us that have allowed us to achieve what we have in our life. Ralph Waldo Emerson discusses his thoughts of how mankind is ungrateful to his surroundings in “Nature.” Although a key tenet of transcendentalism is that the nature of human beings is good, transcendentalist writers mean that society corrupts us and our inherently good nature. After reading such transcendentalist writings such as “Nature” and “This is Water,” I’ve come to think that I haven’t really considered what others feel as much as I should have when I interact with them, but I guess it’s just a human thing. David Foster Wallace urges us in “This is Water” to stray from our default settings and become more aware of our surroundings; but that is really hard. Wallace expands and says that we think of ourselves as “the absolute center of the universe; the realest, most vivid and important person in existence. We rarely think about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness because it’s so socially repulsive.” Also, in “Nature,” Emerson suggests that we must be grateful for all of the factors in our environment that help us. In my case, I believe that is my supportive family and friends, presence of basic life needs, and rights. Yeah, rights. That gets me thinking of “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau. This piece is considered a legendary writing piece and served as the basis for civil rights movements by Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., but during my first time reading it, I honestly thought he was crazy and radical for going on about anarchy, revolution, and his one-day stay in jail for avoiding poll taxes; however, he just wants to say that we should listen to our conscience instead of listening to an inhibiting force. These main concepts of transcendentalism should be accepted for the most part. Not just because a group of smart people approve of it but for the liberation of your soul.

The Rights Worth Fighting For

“We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others” ~Will Rogers

            Equality is the quality or state of having the same rights, social status, etc. Americans have fought for equality and independence in each century since 1776. The white men sought freedom from Great Britain in the 18^th century with the Declaration of Independence; African Americans sought freedom from the shackles of slavery in the 19^th century with the Emancipation Proclamation and equal rights in the mid-20^th century with the Civil Rights Movement; lastly, American women sought freedom from the oppression they felt from men with the Declaration of Sentiments. Each of these groups fought for the same rights, but just at different times. Unless all citizens are given equal rights and opportunities, America “will never have true civilization.”

            In class, we discussed the similarities and differences between the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments. Both of these documents fought for the same equal rights, but the Declaration of Independence fought solely for the rights of men. The Declaration of Sentiments wanted men and women to have equal rights and opportunities; it gave grievances against men and reasons why women should be viewed as individual human beings instead of being defined by their husbands. It is important to understand that each individual of society should be given the opportunity to contribute to society.

The fight for equality and freedom exists in almost every city of the world. Freedom cannot be seen as a privilege; it is everyone’s right to have freedom, regardless of their identity, but it is worthy to note that freedom has its bounds.  

Is Reputation All You Have?

People’s goal in life is to build a good reputation so that their legacy upholds even after they die. What you do to build your character—everything that you do from when you wake up to when you go to bed— is for the purpose of one day achieving something great and earning yourself respect from others and reputation in society. In The Crucible, each character places a huge significance upon his or her name and status; reputation was the most important thing in a society like 17^th century theocratic Salem, Massachusetts.  

When John Proctor is asked why he won’t sign a paper verifying his confession, he responds that “because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life...I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”(Act IV, Line 725) This shows that Proctor values his name over his life and doesn’t want to taint his reputation, which would result in a tarnished legacy and a shame to be held by his descendants. Even if he must sacrifice his life, Proctor won’t ruin his name because it is his most valuable possession.

The motif and significance of name in The Crucible is not as strongly represented in today’s society.  Now, one’s reputation changes so easily that a single taint doesn’t affect your overall name. The individualization of reputation reduces the significance of name; what your grandfather’s grandfather did to ruin his reputation doesn’t affect your status in society. Reputation doesn’t fully determine who you are and it isn’t the only thing people have nowadays.

Use Your Rationality!

“Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.”—Albert Camus

            Humans are rational, yet illogical. They know what the right thing is, but usually choose to follow the wrong choices. This human flaw can be attributed to the fear that exists in them of becoming the next victim of society. Choosing the right thing to do sometimes may force you to go against society and its values. When others do wrong things, people feel the urge to follow the majority to avoid being excluded from the mainstream.

This hysteria is prevalent in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The play is based on the Salem Witch Trials held in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692; these trials were false accusations of witchcraft placed on a few “witches.” The mass hysteria caused by these accusations helped bring the trials forward, resulting in 19 deaths. In the play, Abigail accuses many townspeople, most of them women, and other townsfolk join her; if they don’t join her, it is an indication that they are witches. Although the people of Salem know what is right, their rationality is clouded by the hysteria that Abigail starts.

The effects of hysteria still exist in modern society. For example, the fear of terrorism has molded people’s view of Muslims in a negative way; many of them are discriminated against around the world for things that they aren’t responsible for. It is the loss of rationality which is caused by hysteria that Muslims are all possible terrorists. Many races and cultures have been discriminated against in the past due to mass hysteria and fear in society.  

It is very difficult to leave the beliefs of society to do what is right because of the fear of being an outlier in society or becoming the next to be accused/persecuted. People have an innate ability to be rational, but the effects of mass hysteria clouds it, resulting in serious consequences.