Emerson's Adult and Child Metaphor

[tarah07]

After reading Emerson's Nature essay I think I there is a metaphor between adulthood and being a spiritual victim of society, as well as childhood and the ability to look within oneself. Emerson uses the "woods" as a place to shed the skin that society plagues us with and subsequent to this he writes, "In the woods, a man casts off his years... and at what period soever of life, is always a child." Emerson is saying that when we "cast off the years" that have given us thoughts and theories stained by society, we are able to open our minds and revisit the blank slate that was our childhood. By becoming this child in the woods, we can form our own thoughts and create a personal "philosophy of insight" on behalf of the openness of the childhood mind.

[taylorm07]

I agree with Tara's observation, the "child metaphor" going along with Emerson's belief of always returning to your roots, or your youth and faith. Emerson believed that only then could you become an entity outside of yourself and view the world in its true heavenly state. This concept channels Emerson's romantic ideology, and his glorified description of natire reflects this desire to return to the beginning when man primarily relied on his insticts and formed independent thoughts.

[amandac02]

Earlier today, during my U.S. Issues class, some of my classmates were arguing about tradition. The statement arose, "The older someone gets, the more closed-minded they are." What was meant by this was that elderly people hold onto their own customs which become outdated. But I think Emerson would agree with this statement, claiming that years corrupt one, as society imposes its own customs on him or her.

However, the next question asked was whether one who had no experience could be open-minded at all. So it raises the question: does a child truly have the connection with nature that Emerson hints at? Yes, a child is mesmerized by nature, but can the naivete contain something of substance? I'm not sure; I'm beginning to think that Emerson's ideal purity along with knowledge is an idealistic longing.

[jonathanb02]

Amanda, I of course agree with the fact that Emerson has rediculous ideals becuase, quite frankly, they directly contradict each other. On one hand, he says how children are the purist because they have not been touched negatively by society, as Amanda said. On the other hand, he also calls for solitude and maturity in order to discover one's oversoul. Becuase the ideas of childhood innocence and maturity are polar opposites, his ideals are flaky and too hopeful to be realistic. The idea of searching for the oversoul is a long, sometimes painful, process, and the idea of searching for the oversoul and childhood innocence directly contradict each other.
I suppose one could say that the child is born innocent but then society conforms it into something negative. As a result, the search for the oversoul and solitude is necessary in order to regain that childhood innocence and purity. Either way, it is interesting how two ideals of Emerson are complete opposites, whatever light one sheds on them