Transcendentalism Essay

Transcendentalism is a movement that started in New England in the early to mid nineteenth century. It was created as a protest against the general culture at the time, straying away from the mindless doctrines of the churches. I think that Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, and Dickinson did a good job of explaining what Transcendentalism is really about, which is that death is coming for everyone.
Our Town stands out to me because it doesn’t use any props, and its strong symbolism that makes a point without being boring and difficult to understand. There is some question to what you can define the meaning as, however. "Thornton Wilder's Our Town reflects the ideas and ideals central to Transcendentalism. The musings of Emerson and Thoreau can be heard echoing from the streets of Grover's Corners, and the poetry of Dickinson and Whitman reverberates in the words of Wilder's timeless characters. The play presents us with a glimpse of what Thoreau must have felt at Walden Pond". I personally do not entirely agree with this quote. I think that while Our Town does incorporate several different ideas of Transcendentalism it is lacking its main theme: nature. Our Town is filled with many themes that are similar to Transcendentalism. Thornton is showing us how the small things we really do not think much about are actually the biggest and most important parts of our life. Unfortunately, one really realizes this and those moments are not truly appreciated. When Emily dies, she is a spirit in the graveyard with the rest of the people buried there. Emily finally understands the importance of the little things when she goes back in time and relives one of her early birthdays. She comments to her husband’s late mother that “They don’t understand, do they?” If you do not enjoy the things that happen every day, how can you possibly enjoy your life? Through the actions of the characters in Our Town, Thornton basically tells us “Just do it”. Life is too short to waste it sitting on