1、1 II OBJECTIVES:A)Review Emersonian Transcendentalism and American PuritanismB)The theme of Self-RelianceC)The main idea of Self-RelianceD)Study and discussion of key points I TOPIC:Self-Reliance2Topic 1Review Emersonian Transcendentalism and American Puritanism1.Key words:over-soul,individual man a
2、nd nature.2.Key words:theological foundation,style of life.3 Topic 2The theme of Self-Reliance Key words:Fierce individualism;Dignity4Topic 2The theme of Self-Reliance The theme:This essay focuses on his discussion on the individuals relation with his cultureculture in the broadest definition,thus e
3、xploring the implications of the fierce individualism at the heart of his Transcendental faith：the dignity,the ultimate sanctity of each human being.5Topic 3The main idea Key words:Confidence The Independence The Personality No Sympathy 6 Topic 4Study and discussion of key pointsOn Confidence:The so
4、ul is no traveller;the wise man stays at home.（P969 The Norton Anthology）Key words:a sense of self-culture;the missionary of wisdom and virtue.7 According to Emerson,a man is in want of a sense of self-culture.In manly hours,he should feel that duty is his place.On any occasion he is at home still,a
5、nd shall make men sensible by the expression of his countenance,that he goes the missionary of wisdom and virtue.8 Time and space are but physiological colors which the eye makes,but the soul is light;where it is,is day;where it was,is night.（P964 The Norton Anthology）Key words:a simple mind is simp
6、le;a divine wisdom;the worship of the past.910 In Emersons opinion,whenever a mind is simple,and receives a divine wisdom,old things pass away.And the simple mind lives now,and absorbs past and future into the present hour.It shows that Emerson rejected the worship of the past.11 A man should learn
7、to detect and watch the gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within,more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages.（P956 The Norton Anthology）Key words:your private heart;all forms of imitation;authorities;the spirit of self-trust12 For Emerson,to believe your own thought,to b
8、elieve that what is true for your private heart is true for all men.Speak your latent conviction,and it should be the universal sense.Yet a man dismisses without notice his thought,because it is his.In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts.Emerson criticized all forms of imitat
9、ion,rejected any authorities and opposed all self-abased people.He thought that the confidence was a very important virtue.The philosophical idea had its special power and enlightened many people and catered to the spirit of optimism in America at that time.13On Independence:The great man is he who
10、in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.（P21）What I must do is all that concerns me,not what the people think.(P21)To be great is to be misunderstood.（P22）Key words:not to be influenced by the others14 Emerson thought that the people shouldnt be influenced
11、 by the others.Each one is the first who knows himself much.It is known that the only right is to conform to the mans own will,namely,the only wrong thing is what is against his own will.Emerson supported that the people insist on carrying themselves in the face of all opposition.The true self-indep
12、endence is void of others encouragement;prize is just as an auxiliary function for achievements.The true self-independent man is one who still stands firmly when all people fall over,and who himself plays the major role in his world.Emerson pointed out that it was easy to live after the worlds opini
13、on.Most people prefer to this in daily lives.But a great man always separates himself from the crowds.15 The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency;a reverence for our past act or word,because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts,an
14、d we are loath to disappoint them.（P22）Key words:environment;innovation16 Many people are easily influenced by environment.Emerson sharply opposed this idea and thought the man should cultivate the personality of self-independence.Indeed,a large number of persons always cope with their lives in the
15、same way,because they are afraid of being defeated by new methods.However,they lack innovation,which makes them lack independence.Because of their consistency,it is very difficult for them to make progress or stride in life.Independence is established on the basis of continuous new progress.Therefor
16、e,the spirit of innovation can strengthen self-reliance.According to Emersons words,the society refuses the persons without self-reliance.No one can help the man except himself.Those independent people can stand easily and stably.Independence is an indispensable quality for ones success.Emerson poin
17、ted out that the man without any independent idea is difficult to conduct himself.Therefore,it is very necessary to form the habit of self-reliance.17 According to Emersons words,the society refuses the persons without self-reliance.No one can help the man except himself.Those independent people can
18、 stand easily and stably.Independence is an indispensable quality for ones success.Emerson pointed out that the man without any independent idea is difficult to conduct himself.Therefore,it is very necessary to form the habit of self-reliance.18 On Personality:No law can be sacred to me but that of
19、my nature.Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this;the only right is what is after my constitution,the only wrong what is against it.A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition,as if everything were titular and ephemeral but he.（P20）Let us never bow and ap
20、ologize more.A great man is coming to eat at my house,I do not wish to please him;I wish that he should wish to please me.”(P23)Key words:own will;own worth;inner power 19 Emerson advocated that a man should do everything according to his own will.This thought is closely related with the idea of con
21、fidence.A confident man is the one who always keeps his own personality.Nowadays,many people tend to chase fashion and imitate stars.Some people love the stars characters deeply and even want to be stars.In fact,these people are excellent in many aspects,but they never look for their merits carefull
22、y.We may say that each man is different,and each man has his own worth in the world.It is useless to imitate anyone.20No Sympathy:Your goodness must have some edge to it,else it is none.（P20）Thy love afar is spite at home.（P20）Their virtues are penances.（P20）Key words:the poor mind;harm;full idea;em
23、pty idea;no innovative;a tool 21 This point of view shows that if these poor people are self-supported,their living conditions would be better.Helping this kind of people is to do harm to them and make them more and more poor.There is a popular saying:“If ones pocket is empty,but idea is full,thats
24、temporary;on the contrary,if ones pocket is full,but idea is empty，thats also temporary”.At most time,the poor lack independent conducts,optimistic attitudes,and adventurous spirits.They have no innovative abilities,because they never think that they should challenge life and make progress.Therefore
25、,in many aspects,the poor lags far behind the society.From Emersons opinion,he definitely rejected to help this kind of people.22 However,sometimes the situation is different,just as Emerson said“There is a class of persons to whom by all spiritual affinity I am bought and sold;for them I will go to
26、 prison.”(P20).These kinds of people are poor in pocket,but they are full of ideas in mind.They have the quality of confidence,of independence,but only lack of materials.Emerson believed that their conditions would be quickly improved through a period of time.The poor condition is not terrible,but t
27、he poor mind is a very serious problem.It is not the only way out for a man to help the poor with money,but give them a tool to produce wealth by themselves,or teach them to be independent and challengeable.Emersons opinions towards the poor have given everybody a meaningful enlightenment.23 Stylistic Featuresu Epigrammatic in expression of ideasu Poetic languageu Comparison and metaphorsu To employ literary sourcesu A casual style
