Anne Bradstreet and Ralph Waldo Emerson

It may be the same era and the same basic theme between both writings, but there are two significant differences: social class and

Even though there are lots of similarity between the two texts they have their differences. One difference is that

An influential literary movement in the nineteenth century, transcendentalism placed an emphasis on the wonder of nature and its deep connection to the divine. As the two most prominent figures in the transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau whole-heartedly embraced these principles. In their essays “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience”, Emerson and Thoreau, respectively, argue for individuality and personal expression in different manners. In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson calls for individuals to speak their minds and resist societal conformity, while in “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau urged Americans to publicly state their opinions in order to improve their own government.

Anne Bradstreet was born in 1612 as a Puritan. In Puritan culture education was essential in order for one to be able to read and understand the Bible. This allowed Bradstreet to be well educated in literature and history, particularly in Greek, Latin, French, Hebrew, as well as English (Woodleif). Woodleif goes into detail discussing Bradstreet’s education, explaining, “She read widely in history, science, and literature, especially the works of Guillame du Bartas, studying her craft and gradually developing a confident poetic voice.” Her intellectual education resulted in a huge impact on her life.

It may be the same era and the same basic theme between both writings, but there are two significant differences -- social class and physical location. The

* Both texts written in different time periods meaning completely different contexts which shape the text.

Chris McCandless: a man so infatuated with nature, he practically committed suicide to bring himself nearer to it. This extreme liking for nature, along with other ideals, makes up the core tenets of the transcendentalist philosophy. McCandless demonstrates other tenets of transcendentalism as well, most notably the supremacy of the individual, by detaching himself from the mammon of this world. Another way he shows the supremacy of the individual, by the belief that one should not conform to the usual policies of life, causes him great trouble in some cases. As well as the belief that the individual supersedes all else, McCandless received much of his inspiration from nature. Finally, always following what he believes correct, McCandless

Compare the views of these two scholars by answering the following questions. Be sure to find specific examples in the selections to support your answers.

The Reputation of the Puritans is one of a solemn, austere people. They woke at dawn and often worked till dusk, believing that idle hands led to sin. When members of the community strayed from the puritan lifestyle, the punishments were often severe. The case of Anne Hutchinson in many ways exemplifies this. She was a Puritan woman who lived in the Massachusetts’s Bay Colony and held weekly bible studies where she and the other women would discuss the minister’s

One of the similarities that both passages portray consists of the style of writing, the way the author carries out the messages allow the audience to understand the

Discuss the central moral issue of two of the authors as expressed in their books.

The difference between these two people is their motives. Being that they had lived about a

“The two authors are historically known for their work for establishing as well as clarifying the ideas of general men in terms of response to their government. Both the authors work on the same time, however presents a bit different explanation of their philosophies.”

in 1678 after her death. It remains unclear whether she wanted her book to be published or

First, the plots of both works need to be discussed and explained how they are different. The stories of both works have basically the same