Lesson ThreeEnglish 11

Today’s Agenda

1. Discuss inferences made about McCandless

2. Continue Activity 4.2

1. “Self-Reliance” pp. 258

2. Working definition of Transcendentalism p 264

OBJECTIVES:

*Develop a working definition of Transcendentalism and its key tenets.*Analyze foundational works of American literature to identify philosophical tenets.*Explain how the Transcendentalists envisioned the pursuit of happiness.

Making Inferences – page 264Fill in the left-hand column of the chart

with INFERENCES you can make about “Alexander Supertramp” and his understanding of TRANSCENDENTALISM?

Wanna hint?1. Alex REJECTS

.

2. Alex SEEKS .

Working Definition of Transcendentalismp 264

McCandless

Rejects society and material comforts

Seeks freedom

Wants to escape to the wild and no longer be “poisoned by civilization”

“spiritual revolution” – shows that he is concerned with matters of the spirit

“from Self-Reliance” page 258

Ralph Waldo Emerson Father of Transcendentalist

movement

“Self-Reliance” What does it mean to be self-

reliant? Is it possible to be self-reliant in

today’s world? Explain. Assign a representative from your

group to share with the class.

Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

As you read the passage, highlight (or bracket) one sentence in each paragraph that seems to best express the main idea of the paragraph.

A Closer Look

There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for the better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.

• Imitating others destroys a person’s individuality.

A Closer Look

Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company in which the members agree for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.

Society will cause you to not want to better yourself; society wants you to CONFORM!

A Closer Look

Whoso would be a man must be a noncomformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind…

Trust your own intuition and don’t follow the masses.

A Closer LookA foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today. “Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstand.” Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever too flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.

Consistency of mind is typical of small-mindedness. It takes greatness to say what you think honestly at all times. Those who have done so have been misunderstood.

Working Definition of Transcendentalismp 264 Fill in the center-column of the chart with inferences

you can make about Emerson’s world view. Hint: Look at your paraphrased sentences.

Emerson

Writing Prompt #2: “Self-Reliance”

Do you agree with Emerson? Do you think your ideas are genius and that envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide? How do you feel when someone takes your idea and receives credit for it?

Do you believe that society values conformity over self-reliance and individualism? Explain.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to conforming to society’s expectations?