Comparison and Contrast of Emerson and Hawthorne
Comparison and Contrast of Emerson and HawthorneThe transcendental period of American writing was a very important time for
American literature. It produced many of the most famous authors in America’s
history. Webster’s dictionary defines transcendentalism as a philosophy that
asserts the primacy of the spiritual and transcendental over the material. What
that means is that spirituality was more important than material possessions. Two
very famous authors of this time were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel
Hawthorne. Emerson was a transcendentalist and in his writings are many
characteristics of this time period. Three of those characteristics are nature, the
goodness of mankind, and individualism. Hawthorne, on the other hand was a
non-transcendentalist. In his writings, the way he dealt with the same three
characteristics shows why he is a non-transcendentalist.
Nature was a very important subject of transcendental writing.Emerson quite
frequently wrote about a oneness with nature. Two very good examples of his
opinion of nature are found in his essay “Nature” and in his poem “The Rhodora”
In “The Rhodora” he writes “This charm is wasted on earth and sky,” what he is
saying in that line is how something as simple as a flower is to beautiful and to
wonderful to be wasted on earth. He is saying that this flower has a kind of
beauty that goes beyond reality and that by simply observing this flower a person
understands the universe better. Emerson believed that nature should be
observed but not disturbed and by observing nature we are learning more about
ourselves. In his essay “Nature” he writes “I am a transparent eyeball; I am
nothing: I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am
part and parcel of God.” What he means there is that he is simply meant to
observe everything that he can about nature and about the universe without
interfering. His being a “transparent eyeball” makes it possible for him to watch
and learn without being noticed and without doing anything to harm or interfere
with nature. It is next to impossible to miss Emerson’s frequent references to
nature in these and many other of his works. He writes in such a way that
makes it very easy to understand his thoughts and feelings about the
magnificence
of nature.
Hawthorne, however, had a different view of nature. In his writings nature is
seen as an evil place where bad things happen. In The Scarlet Letter the forest
is a place where many evil things occur. Mistress Hibbins frequently goes into the
woods where the devil is. On a few separate occasions she asks Hester to go
into the woods with her. Hester refuses because she has her daughter to keep
her away from further sin. Hawthorne also showed a dislike of nature in his life.
There was a short period of time when...
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