Civil Disobedience Emerson Analysis

In the two essays “Self Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience, written Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau respectively, the two 19th century transcendentalists speak about what it means to be an individual and how society can be changed for the better. While both authors stress the need for nonconformity and individuality, the essays differ on the details. In “Self Reliance”, Emerson goes on to talk about the American sense of individuality. He makes the claim that the traditions of old are a way for people to live vicariously through the lives of previous people. He states boldly, “Imitation is suicide.” Emerson advocates for being an individual, to stop following and to start leading. Both Emerson and Thoreau believe that one can learn