... , but names and customs. Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist"(21). Here he argues against allowing society to force the individual to conform to its norms and regularities. Inherent in this attitude lies the idea that the individual has definite control of him/herself at all times, without regard to pressures and influences from differing elements in society, for example, friends ... , even going so far as to act in opposition to those laws that are felt to be unjust. Emerson claims that "No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names very readily tr...

• Word Count: 1633
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... values. From 1836 to 1844, the Boston-centered Transcendentalist movement, led by Ralph Waldo Emerson, was an important force in New England intellectual circles. The Transcendentalists believed that human existence transcended the sensory realm, and rejected formalism in favor of individual responsibility. The Scarlet Letter shows some Transcendentalist influence, including a belief in individual choice and consequence, and ... . Dominant Traits Henry David Thoreau's dominant trait was being a Transcendentalist. Transcendentalism is the belief asserting the existence of an ideal spiritua...

• Word Count: 913
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School