Self Reliance Rhetorical Analysis

“Self-Reliance” is a series of loosely related thoughts and extracts from lectures and journals that Ralph Waldo Emerson has written in the past. Through the use of the classical argument, imagery, and many other rhetorical devices, Emerson makes such a convincing case that a person from almost any background would find it difficult to disagree with him.
Emerson wrote this essay is to teach a lesson. He argues to the reader to trust themselves and to not conform to the standards of others. Emerson tells his audience, “Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.” This means that you must first have approval and support of yourself, and then you will gain approval of the world. The purpose of this essay, pertaining to any audience, is to show that a person needs to find his own truth, and have confidence or “self-reliance” in themselves.
The author adds pathos to his essay by evoking the personal prejudices and biases of the audience. Pathos stands out most in his essay, as it contains a lot of emotional conflicts that we all face at some point or other in our lives. “Self-Reliance” is sprinkled with memorable sayings known as aphorisms. These are brief statements that express a general principle or truth about life. “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of the little minds” is a very popular aphorism Emerson uses in his essay. He adds logos, or reason, to his essay by giving examples of arguments that people face with themselves and others, and rationally explaining how we should deal with these struggles. Emerson adds ethos to his essay by referencing to well known people in history. He states that Luther, Socrates, Galileo, Newton, Pythagoras, Copernicus, and Jesus were all great minds that were misunderstood. By referencing to these people, he established credibility, as his audience is most likely familiar with the struggles and triumphs of a few or more of these people in history.
Emerson uses a unique style of diction in this