How Journal Changed My Life

I began writing with basic vocabulary and barely any sentence variety. As the year progressed, I learned to advance my vocabulary and word choice in addition to incorporating a diversity of sentence structure. Nearing the end of the school year, I acknowledge that I have grown and learned more about writing. I anticipate that I will receive even more arduous writing assignments that require more research and time. Although it will be challenging, I feel confident that I will do well because I feel well prepared from all I’ve done this year. As I grow older, I will have to continue to write. I know I can take the knowledge I’ve learned this year and apply it to future papers for years to

Transcendentalists believe that using their principles, humanity can inch closer and closer to utopia, the perfect society. Transcendentalism, the flawed doctrine, instead leads its adherents on the road to nowhere, and many of the principles fail spectacularly when applied in real life. Transcendentalism is too idealistic to be realistic. Simply put, transcendentalism is wrong. Their ideals are not just incorrect, they are potentially dangerous.

“Transcendentalism […] has primarily much the position of the sun […] We are conscious of it as of a kind of splendid confusion […] But the circle of the moon is as clear and unmistakable, as recurrent and inevitable, as the circle of Euclid on a blackboard” (Chesterton, 24). These words encapsulate the driving rationale of the anti-transcendentalist argument – that although individuals seek transcendentalism, they can never truly realize it, or, to compare with the sun, see it. Rather, they inevitably place attention on the “moon,” the perspicuous reflection of transcendentalism – that is, individualism – and neglect the responsibilities of society. Emerson institutes the philosophy of transcendentalism in his essay, Nature, teaching that divinity pervades all nature and humanity. Although transcendentalists would offer that man can only better his spiritual life by embracing individualism, pursuing the ideal, and being one with nature, the ability and appeal of transcendentalism to advance enlightenment upon the soul of the individual rests on the false suppositions that feckless man can achieve perfection and that nature embodies God, thus causing transcendentalism to conversely detriment the spiritual life of the individual, isolating him, prescribing his rebellion, and invigorating his selfish pursuits, simply because he confides his soul in creation instead of the Creator (Tocqueville, 482).

In Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, Chris McCandless' actions exemplify transcendentalism through three of Thoreau's principles: living in the moment, lifting people up, and listening to one's instinct. By living in the moment, Chris plays with Jan Burres and her dog. To Chris, nothing else seems to matter. Chris lifts up his father when he thanks him for everything he has done. He listens to his own gut by keeping in a secret and entering the wild causing his parents pain and suffer.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." Transcendentalist believed in being independent and self-reliant as well as appreciating nature. Transcendentalism occurred in the 1800s in the United States. Transcendentalist believed that one should not rely on others and should rely solely on themselves. They also believe that nature was important in the world and should not be taken for granted. Artist from 2000 up to now share these common beliefs with transcendentalist. One of these artist is Trisha Yearwood who had the song Real Live Woman. Another artist who has a song that follows their beliefs is Lee Ann Womack. Lee Ann Womack has the song I Hope You Dance which also follows along with the beliefs of transcendentalist. Some of the beliefs that transcendentalist had was believing in independence and they also believed in appreciating nature and everything in it for example Lee Ann Womack sings about nature and what happens in it and Trisha Yearwood in one of her songs sings about the importance of being self-reliant and independent she also talks about social reforms and not doing things that is set up by society.

Chris McCandless and Transcendentalism Everyone wants to find true happiness. It just takes different measures. For some people, happiness comes from a significant other. For Chris McCandless, happiness came from learning what was undiscovered and the eagerness to independence.

Transcendentalism is a philosophical belief several authors have used in their works to feel disconnected from an organized society. Authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Michael Donovan, Jon Krakauer, and Henry David Thoreau have all used transcendentalism to give more depth in their characters or theme;moreover, usually the characters or themes both have some characteristic of independence.

Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that occurred in America after Enlightenment and before the Civil War. Transcendentalist authors espoused closeness with nature while the same time nonconformity with mainstream society. It is interesting to compare and contrast the bonds that these writers promoted using several works of literature.

American philosophers during the early to mid-1800s embraced a new liberal movement known as transcendentalism that posed a silent threat to the current social and political institutions of the time period. Henry David Thoreau acted as the father of this new philosophy that would go on to transform the social structure of America into what it is and is still becoming today.

Transcendentalism was a huge cultural movement in the nineteenth century; however, the ideas of the movement still continue to influence our society in the twenty-first century. These ideas of Transcendentalism have continued to exist throughout many years because the ideas remain relevant to society. In fact, the problems that many Transcendentalist writers encountered still happen today in new forms. These similar problems include conformity, the role of government in society, and the importance of nature. In general, people still feel that society needs to better itself for the benefit of all individuals, which is at the heart of Transcendentalism. Some of the ideas that Transcendentalists constantly defended included individualism,

There have been numerous religious rebellions throughout history, but none quite like that of Transcendentalism. This movement embodies the idea that spiritual growth can be achieved through personal journey instead of conflicting with organized religion. By the time of the movement’s onset, newly gained religious freedom in the United States allowed for new ideas and beliefs to prosper freely. At the heart of this movement was Transcendentalism philosophy famous ambassadors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and apprentice Henry David Thoreau. These men believed nature is what forces us not to depend on other ideas but to develop our own.

Emerson, Thoreau, Krakauer, and Donovan all have a similar transcendentalism idea. It connects them all in some way. They all from different time periods but all share a common theme. Yet they are also different in their own way.

Have you ever been given an assignment where you say to yourself, “how the heck am I going to do this?” or maybe, “what am I supposed to write about?” Well that’s exactly how I felt, thought, and did with this writing journey. Coming up with something to say about my writing journey has been difficult. I would be bold enough to say nearly impossible. So impossible it’s like trying to get a camel through the eye of a needle. Okay that might be an exaggeration, but it has been difficult. The idea that I have a writing journey I understand. But thinking of an event or something that has made my writing the way it is has been difficult. So, what I’ve decided to do then is to write about my writing journey writing this paper.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” is a prime example of a transcendental piece of work. Emerson emphasizes intuition by showing how people push away the idea that God is working through them: “betraying their perception that the Eternal was stirring at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being” (p. 550). He also shows that all beings are unified with God: “It must be that when God speaketh, he should communicate not one thing, but all things” (p. 557). Another characteristic of Transcendentalism that Emerson displays is that people may experience God first hand: “When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn” (p. 558). Ralph Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance”

Writing has always been something I dread. It’s weird because I love talking and telling stories, but the moment I have to write it all down on paper, I become frantic. It’s almost as if a horse race just begun in my mind, with hundreds of horses, or words, running through my mind, unable to place them in chronological order. Because I struggle to form satisfying sentence structure, it takes me hours, sometimes even days, to write one paper. It’s not that I think I’m a “bad writer,” I just get discouraged easily. Needless to say, I don’t think highly of my writing skills. When I was little I loved to both read and write. I read just about any book I could get my hands on, and my journal was my go to for my daily adventures. Although it’s