Individualism in Early American Literature Essay
be described by Emerson when he says, "Good men must not obey the laws too well".
This view has long been an inspiration for future generations of Americans to start some
of the greatest reformations of our history. Among the literary units that show support for
Emerson's idea, there are three that are more powerful at conveying this spirit. The
Revolutionaries, the Transcendentalists, and the Dark Romantics, all support Emerson's
quote because they show that a truly righteous individual is not one that conforms to
society's standards, but rather judges his/her actions based on his/her reason and what
he/she has discovered …show more content…
which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right" (Thoreau 250).
This relates back to Emerson's idea of self-reliance; a person, according to Thoreau, must
be reliant on himself/herself and not on the government. The power of change is in the
people, the government "does not keep people free. It does not settle the West. It does not
educate" (Thoreau 250). Thoreau's view on the importance of the individual over the
government supports Emerson's quote because a good person's laws are entirely based
on what the person has decided right for himself/herself.
Although the Dark Romantics do not have the optimism if the transcendentalists,
they still believe in the importance of a person's independence from accepted standards,
as evident in Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil". Mr. Hooper is the only person
who is willing to admit the truth that every person in his community has secret sin,
represented by his black veil. However, the society is afraid to admit this truth; "not one
ventured to put the plain question to Mr. Hooper, wherefore he did this thing"
(Hawthorne 303). Although this admittance makes a Mr. Hooper a fearful person for the
community, he is only feared because the congregation is actually afraid of its own secret
sinfulness. When
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