The Emerson Scholar

One thing I found very interesting about the readings for class this week was not even the works of literature themselves. Instead, it was my response to them. I had previously read Emerson and Thoreau once before four years ago in an Honors American Literature course. 16-year-old me could not stand these authors. In fact, I remember the topic of many a conversation that week amongst the sophomores being how awful the readings were and how crazy the people were who actually liked it. Now, 20-year-old me is mildly embarassed of this narrow-mindedness and unfair prejudice. Reading these authors' works now that I have a little more experience in literature under my belt, my perspective of these men has really changed. While I still have some issues getting through Thoreau, I found quite a bit of Emerson very enlightening and downright interesting, much to my surprise.

Emerson's emphasis on what it truly means to thrive as a scholar, with a respect for the past but also maintaining a mind of one's own, was particularly interesting to me. He writes,

"Meek young men grew up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon have given, forgetful that Cicero, Lock and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books."

Here, Emerson clearly defines the difference between a "bookworm" and "Man Thinking," and the superiority of the latter. To him, a background in literature and the Past, while essential to scholarly life, should not be the definitions and boundaries in which a life is lived. This sentiment still rings very true today, as news and entertainment programs hold increasing weight over the opinions of their viewers. Where classic books were controlling personal thought in the times of Emerson, shows such and stations such as Fox, the Daily Show, and Saturday Night Live are leaving some people with pre-formed opinions that are not entirely their own. This is a dangerous occurence, for it can lead to the few altering results that were supposed to be in the hands of the many. To avoid this, people must allow themselves room for change in opinions and beliefs, just as my own thoughts on Emerson and Thoreau altered when I gained much more knowledge and acceptance.