Nonconformity In The Works Of Herman Melville And Henry David Thoreau

Essay #4 Trevor White

Herman Melville and Henry David Thoreau present their writing pieces as different forms of nonconformity. The essays both represent Ralph Emerson's essay, Self-Reliance, but they do so in different ways. In Thoreau's essay, Solitude, the narrator has removed himself from society and into solitude in a cabin in the deep woods. The narrator displays nonconformity by not taking on the normal daily routines and an average person in society. The nonconformity exhibited in Bartleby, the Scrivener is Bartleby not conforming at the same level of his co-workers in the law office. The law office in Bartleby's eyes is stark place that only brings him displeasure. The transcendentalist essay by Ralph Emerson, Self-Reliance,
While the rest of society resides as a group in towns or cities, performing similar actions, the narrator of Solitude resides and an individual in the deep woods. The common society is composed of families working together. Common duties such as working a job, maintaining a household, attending school, attending social events, and helping others in the community are duties people in a society would fulfill. The narrator does not participate in any of these daily duties. He believes being secluded and alone in nature is a full and rich life. He is a nonconformist in the sense that he does not act as the rest of society. Instead of running to the store for groceries to take care of the family, he sits in the midst of pure nature and self-reflects to gain satisfaction. "Some of my pleasantest hours were during long rain storms in the spring or fall, which confined me to my house for the afternoon as well as the forenoon, soothed by their ceaseless roar and pelting;" Along with the narrator's nonconformance to society through love, passion and need for nature, he explains that he finds his own society in nature. The word ‘society' pertains a different meaning to the narrator. Society is not all of the living parts of a community according to Solitude. "Yet I experienced sometimes that the most sweet and tender, the most innocent and encouraging society may
In Solitude, the narrator shows nonconformity by secluding himself from society. He lives in the deep woods while society resides in towns and cities, together. Nature is his calling, and he enjoys living as an individual. He gains satisfaction from his actions of nonconformity. "This is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense, and imbibes delight through every pore. I go and come with strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself." Thoreau expresses that secluding himself from society is what brings him peace in himself. On the other hand, Melville responds differently to Emerson's essay as well. In Bartleby, the Scrivener, Bartleby exhibits nonconformity by being different from his co-workers in his law office. He is anti-social and cold toward the others around him. He simply relies in himself to do his work and carry out daily tasks. Bartleby's rebel attitude makes him a nonconformist in his office. He displays his rebel attitude when he finally stands up to his boss when he is asked to do a task and replies- "I'd prefer not to." Bartleby decides he will no longer act as everyone else in the office does. He decided to take a stand in what he believed in. Emerson would choose to rely on himself and act as an individual whenever he would do something. Bartleby