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Reflection on Oneself
Melissa Nelson
Shelly Rodrigo
ENH 241
30 June 2008
Each time period in American Literature focused on changing or expanding the one before it; because of this it is truly essential to understand the time period before and after. This is exactly why I believe it would have been a great benefit to me if I would have studied Transcendentalism, for it would have given me a better understanding of the rest of the time periods. For instance, the Romantic time period, which was just before Transcendentalism, moved the world toward using the mind as an imaginary tool in order to create characters and stories in writing; it tested the limits. As I looked at the resources for Transcendentalism, I realized the Romantic time period was only the beginning. The Transcendentalist took imagination a step farther by relying on one’s intuition in the world and nature, believing this would lead them to their full potential. Life became more spiritual, and more about what each of them could offer the world. This time also focused on equal rights to women and abolishing slavery which ran into the next time period Critique of Slavery, where the focus of literature turned into telling the stories of slaves in order to abolish slavery and get equal rights among men and woman of all races. This brought me back full circle to the Puritan and Enlightenment periods which worked toward truth in a world where freedom was on the line.
I also felt that each time period portrayed a different and better understanding of each of the literary themes. When I first started this class I thought I would have to be careful and chose certain themes that would fit into the time period I was researching, but as my research continued I realized that each theme could be found in every period and in part was a little different for each one. I found it very interesting to read others papers using themes I had used in a different time periods. The American Dream was a little different depending on the time, as well as self confidence and experimentalism. I feel that I missed out in digging deeper into these themes as well as the five others by not researching the Transcendentalism.
If I would have chosen Transcendentalism I would have researched Margaret Fuller, because she sounds like a woman after my own heart. Much like me she is a strong woman who believed in woman’s right mostly because she thought women and men could share in their quest to reach their full potential. I am a true believer in the power of a woman and a man together. My personal writing reflects a spiritual nature where each of us has power within us to live up to our gifts. This is exactly the type writing Margaret Fuller wrote in her book “Summer on the Lakes,” which would have been the text I selected to research, because it is about Fuller’s journey to other lands and her inner search as she found herself. I am drawn to write about my inner journeys as well because I feel that they are the most powerful.
I think I missed out on researching the most interesting time period, because it was about finding spiritual balance and living up to one’s potential. I am now, drawn to the Transcendentalism time because it is the one that most fits me as a writer. I plan on doing my own research on the time period in order to better understand and expand on my own writing.
Shelly Rodrigo
ENH 241
30 June 2008
Reflection on Oneself
Each time period in American Literature focused on changing or expanding the one before it; because of this it is truly essential to understand the time period before and after. This is exactly why I believe it would have been a great benefit to me if I would have studied Transcendentalism, for it would have given me a better understanding of the rest of the time periods. For instance, the Romantic time period, which was just before Transcendentalism, moved the world toward using the mind as an imaginary tool in order to create characters and stories in writing; it tested the limits. As I looked at the resources for Transcendentalism, I realized the Romantic time period was only the beginning. The Transcendentalist took imagination a step farther by relying on one’s intuition in the world and nature, believing this would lead them to their full potential. Life became more spiritual, and more about what each of them could offer the world. This time also focused on equal rights to women and abolishing slavery which ran into the next time period Critique of Slavery, where the focus of literature turned into telling the stories of slaves in order to abolish slavery and get equal rights among men and woman of all races. This brought me back full circle to the Puritan and Enlightenment periods which worked toward truth in a world where freedom was on the line.
I also felt that each time period portrayed a different and better understanding of each of the literary themes. When I first started this class I thought I would have to be careful and chose certain themes that would fit into the time period I was researching, but as my research continued I realized that each theme could be found in every period and in part was a little different for each one. I found it very interesting to read others papers using themes I had used in a different time periods. The American Dream was a little different depending on the time, as well as self confidence and experimentalism. I feel that I missed out in digging deeper into these themes as well as the five others by not researching the Transcendentalism.
If I would have chosen Transcendentalism I would have researched Margaret Fuller, because she sounds like a woman after my own heart. Much like me she is a strong woman who believed in woman’s right mostly because she thought women and men could share in their quest to reach their full potential. I am a true believer in the power of a woman and a man together. My personal writing reflects a spiritual nature where each of us has power within us to live up to our gifts. This is exactly the type writing Margaret Fuller wrote in her book “Summer on the Lakes,” which would have been the text I selected to research, because it is about Fuller’s journey to other lands and her inner search as she found herself. I am drawn to write about my inner journeys as well because I feel that they are the most powerful.
I think I missed out on researching the most interesting time period, because it was about finding spiritual balance and living up to one’s potential. I am now, drawn to the Transcendentalism time because it is the one that most fits me as a writer. I plan on doing my own research on the time period in order to better understand and expand on my own writing.
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