Works Cited

"The Bubble." Leaving Scientology. N.p., 10 Apr. 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, and Gene Dekovic. Self Reliance. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1975. Print.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, and Joel Porte. Essays & Lectures. New York: Literary Classics of the U.S., 1983. Print.

Fund, The Malala. "The Malala Fund." The Malala Fund. The Malala Fund, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

Kettler, Sara. "Malala Yousafzai." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

News, BBC. "Malala Yousafzai Speech in Full - BBC News." BBC News. BBC News, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

"Plot Summary." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

Thoreau, Henry David, and J. Lyndon Shanley. Walden. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1971. N. pag. Print.

Thoreau, Henry David. Civil Disobedience. Los Angeles: Green Integer 41, 2002. Print.

The Truman Show. Universal Pictures, 2011.

The Truman Show- Modern Day Transcendetalism

The 1998 film, The Truman Show, is an modern day example of transcendentalism. The film follows Truman Burbank, (played by Jim Carrey) a man unaware that his entire life is being broadcast on television for the world to see. His world, the people involved, and his life are all fake, creating a false reality based on entertainment. Parallels between the Truman Show and the works of Emerson and Thoreau support similar transcendentalist traits, which include intuition and self reliance. 

The fake world suppresses and discourages Truman from doing what he wants. Thus, he is forced to conform to the society created for him and is stuck in a meaningless routine. Truman wants to live an exciting, fuller life and begins questioning the one he is in. Truman and Thoreau share the wish to "suck out all the marrow of life" (Thoreau.204).  As a act of suspicion, Truman goes on a spontaneous joyride and experiments with repeated events and their timing. Truman exclaims, "Somebody help me! I'm being spontaneous!" Here, he goes against the scheduled show by acting upon his own decision and intuition. He also discusses traveling to new places, while his wife quickly negates him from the idea of leaving. She is pressured to help keep Truman in a predictable, repeated rut. These are prime examples of how Truman wants to break away from his boring life and explore on his own intuition. In the end of the movie, when Truman leaves, he leaves on his own intuition, despite other's opinions and demands.  
 

The movie also demonstrates self reliance since Truman breaks away from the bubble he's been stuck in (the bubble is the studio where the show is filmed in). He has no control over what to believe and what not to believe. Christof, the creator of the show, explains, "I've given Truman the chance to lead a normal life, your life, the life out there, that is the sick place." Christof is limiting Truman's life and self reliance through his control of the false reality.  This supports Emerson's idea that ,"Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater" ( Emerson. 184) Similar to the society defined by Emerson, Christoph wants Truman to stay in safe bubble where is secure and has surrendered his liberty.
 Both society and Christoph restrict others from independence. The Creator, the show, and the bubble are metaphors for societal pressures and restrictions. The outside world is a metaphor for breaking away and transcending from those pressures in a wholer, more natural life. 

During the movie, Truman's suspicions lead him to explore that everything was a setup for mere entertainment. In the end, he walks off the set to venture for his own journey, think for himself and do what he wants. He becomes self reliant and embraces his individuality. Truman becomes a transcendentalist when he rises above the limitations of his false reality and joins the "real" world.

Civil Disobedience

Thoreau's work has shaped and inspired individuals to fight for what they believe in, even it if goes against laws and society. Throughout history, many have followed his concept of civil disobedience, though Malala Yousafzai is one of the most significant individuals working for change in the name of justice and fairness.
Malala grew up in Swat Valley of Northwest Pakistan, where Taliban forces made great efforts to restrict education and stop girls from going to school. During 2009, the Taliban's power grew in Swat while television and music were banned. Her love for education led Malala to write a blog under a pseudonym, for the BBC Urdu service, which described military activity and personal thoughts towards education. Despite the threats and consequences, she and her father continued to fight for change in girl's education. In 2012, the Taliban's failed attempt to kill Malala resulted in global support and protests across Pakistan. Malala became a key figure and advocate for girl's education rights amongst social, economic, legal and political difficulties. She now has a fund to fight for the education of girls and to empower them to speak up. 
     Her cause follows civil disobedience, because she refused to comply with the Taliban's restrictions as a peaceful and strong protest. She stood up for her beliefs which would benefit and transform the lives of girls through education. Malala's actions towards justice and fairness disobeyed the Taliban and overcame society's limitations, thus proving her a modern follower of civil disobedience.




Works Cited

Fund, The Malala. "The Malala Fund." The Malala Fund. The Malala Fund, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

Kettler, Sara. "Malala Yousafzai." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

News, BBC. "Malala Yousafzai Speech in Full - BBC News." BBC News. BBC News, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

Thoreau and Transcendentalism

How Thoreau Displays Transcendentalism

Under the teachings of Emerson, Henry David Thoreau became a transcendentalist himself. His texts, Walden and Civil Disobedience display Thoreau's efforts to follow a minimalistic and whole life. In his work, Walden, Thoreau leaves behind the busy world and ventures into the woods to live deliberately. His goal is to "..suck out all the marrow of life.."(Thoreau. 204) Thoreau's journey into finding himself, connecting with nature, and living individually is an example of his quest to escape the false realities of society. Emerson's call to action in Nature and Self Reliance inspired Thoreau to develop his own observations and revelations. Thoreau also goes against the law to stand up for his individual beliefs. Though his act was selfish and poorly contributed to his cause, Thoreau's work Civil Disobedience shows Emerson's impact on his intuition. Thoreau strongly disagrees with the government's funding and involvement in the Mexican War. Thus he refuses to pay his taxes as an act of protesting and going against societal norms. Standing up for his individual beliefs and initiating a non materialistic life are key traits of Emerson's teachings and Transcendentalism.  

Emerson's Characteristics of Transcendentalism

Emerson's Characteristics of Transcendentalism

Throughout Emerson's works, four main characteristics shaped his idea of transcendentalism, which included individualism, optimism, self-reliance, and intuition. His works, "Nature" and "Self-Reliance" categorize these traits.

Individualism
Emerson's idea of individually urges humans to be unique and express themselves. Individuality favors freedom of actions and nonconformity. In Self Reliance, Emerson uses the words ,"We but half express ourselves and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents,"(Emerson.184) to share his observations about the pressures of society that limit individualism. He shares his dislike towards conformity, which contributes the trait of individuality.

Optimism
The concept of believing that things are good by seeing the world through a positive perspective was one of the ways Emerson defined Transcendentalism. "Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child." (Emerson. 180) Here he discusses the thought that only those who are optimistic can fully see life and nature for what it is, rather than a mere object. Seeing more than what what you have been told to see corroborates with the idea of levitating to transcendentalism. 

 
Self-Reliance
Emerson also uses self reliance to define transcendentalism. Self reliance is the concept that one can depend on his or her own abilities. "To believe in your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men; that is genius. "(Emerson.183) Emerson explains that the ability to think for yourself and believe in yourself is pure genius, for the concept of transcendentalism is to rise above.


Intuition
Emerson discusses the ability to understand and act without interference as intuition. "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort, and advancing on Chaos and the Dark." (Emerson. 184) Here, he encourages people to act upon their own understandings and to accept the transcendent destiny. 

Transcendentalism Overview

What is Transcendentalism? 

Transcendentalism is the philosophical idea or concept that an individual can reach their full potential by rising above societal norms, stereotypes and limitations. Transcendentalism encompasses the beliefs that materialism and conformity suppress our connection with nature and finding ourselves. The works of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson shaped Transcendental views.  In Self Reliance, Emerson explains that one should seek to be different and create their own journey, rather than follow another's. "There is time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse.." (Emerson.183) Emerson also explains a lust to venture in the natural world and reconnect ourselves in his work, Nature. "In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than I do in the streets or villages"(Emerson. 181) His feeling of balance within nature signifies the affects it has as an escape from a busy world. Thoreau defines the characteristic of rejecting materialism and taking what life has to offer in Walden, when he says "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan like.." (Thoreau. 205) Thoreau wants to work hard for the delicacy of life in his metaphor with marrow. He wants to live minimalistic and use only what he needs similar to the Greek Spartans. All three examples define traits of Transcendentalism, the intention to levitate above society's pressures and live life to the fullest.