Transcendentalism Essay

        Transcendentalism is a nineteenth-century movement in American literature and thought. It encouraged people to trust their own opinions and instinct, and not to blend in. One of the most noted transcendentalists was Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author of Self-Reliance, an essay that supports transcendentalism and describes it in great detail. This movement was influential in the nineteenth century, and caused people to draw away from Puritanism. Though the idea of it has gotten less influential, it can still be found in many of the modern things humans enjoy and partake in each day. The transcendentalist movement has changed the course of history, and it will continue to do so by influencing people to decide for themselves by showing up in their daily routine.

        In the nineteenth century, Puritanism was still very popular and prominent among the masses. Puritans believed that the church and worshipping God took priority over everything else, and those who did not agree with it were offending the church and the people who attended it. Transcendentalists strongly disagree with this idea; one major aspect the transcendentalists were against was organized religion. Instead of screaming of their movement from the rooftops, they put ads in the newspaper to let people know that there was a group of people who were separate from the church. Discreetly, they let people know that there was a group, though unofficial at the time, that met and discussed ideas separate from the church views. Over time, this small group of people became a large movement that called themselves the transcendentalists, and they valued simplicity, self-reliance, openness, and the beauty of the world. An example of a work of literature involving the ideals of transcendentalism is Henry David Throeau’s Civil Disobedience. In this essay, Thoreau clarifies that his true belief is “Government is best which governs not at all”. He considers civil disobedience a moral and social duty of American citizens, and he defines it as an act of willful resistance not achieved by obeying laws he considers to be hypocritical. This connects to transcendentalism because it talks about how the limitations of civil government can sometimes inhibit greater, moral freedom, and so one may consider themselves to have the right to judge it by our own individual, moral standards, in effect “transcending” its limitations.

        Transcendentalism is still prominent in modern things humans enjoy on a daily basis. Its impact on literature can be seen today, an example being Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. In this work of literature, a lady finds self-reliance on her own by going on a journey, and learns to value every day beauty, such as pasta, and she meditates to connect with her inner self. (Redd, Stacy). Its impact on media is prominent, an example of this being The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is lured in by money and wealth and society standards of a lavish life. With Gatsby’s wealth having been obtained, he had achieved success in the eyes of society. Another example of this would be the movie Avatar, a movie where nature is very sacred to them, and everything that surrounds them is nature. So to them, nature is their life and without it, they would not be able to live and thrive. The impact is also very prominent in music, an example being the song Imagine by John Lennon, which talks about what our world would be like with no government, religion, or possessions. (Rodriguez, Guadalupe).