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Intrinsic Like That By Emily Dickinson Summary

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Intrinsic Like That: An Analysis of Shira Wolosky’s interpretation of Emily Dickinson Shira Wolosky critiques deeper meanings of Emily Dickinson’s poems in her article “Dickinson’s Emerson: A Critique of American Identity,” which originates out of The Emily Dickinson Journal. Thinking deeply in comparison, Wolosky argues that when Dickinson expresses independence and drive to be a part of the American identity Emerson articulates, that she still possesses anxieties over whether this individualism represents something truly beneficial for individuals. Emerson identifies individualism as something illimitable and self-sufficient (Wolosky 136). I agree with Wolosky that Dickinson writes with fervor in expressing that individualism in Emerson’s definition does not give people life worth living; but I do not think that Dickinson holds this opinion completely, rather she still grapples with her individualism. In the article, Wolosky claims that Dickinson echoes in her poetry the idea of possessing something in turn causes people to lose something else (139). Consistently, she uses direct quotes to boost her argument. Some striking examples of this are seen in her use of poems like, “Perception of an object costs.” From this poem, Wolosky divulges how Dickinson takes perception and brings out the blatant truth that people typically find the outcome does not match (139). Conforming to the male ideal causes women to lose something of themselves in the process, because they cannot

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