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Transcendentalism In The Dead Poets Society

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In Emerson's views, people should “not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”(citation). Based on Emerson’s thoughts, people should not follow the crowd, but instead live their lives and leave their mark on the Earth. Emerson thoughts come from a philosophical movement of the nineteenth century called transcendentalism. Transcendentalism focuses on religious renewal, literary innovation, and social transformation (encyclopedia.com). Because of their belief that God exists in everyone and nature, and that knowledge comes from individual intuition, led to the highlight of individualism, self-reliance, and breaking free from traditions(citation). In the movie the Dead Poets Society, Mr. Keating “[stands] upon his desk to remind [himself] that we must look at life …show more content…

It does not just exist in the movies but in music, television, books, advertising and more. It is all around, but may be unrecognizable. The song, “ Don’t Want to Be”, by Gavin Degraw, exemplifies the transcendental theme of nonconformity. Gavin Degraw's lyrics, “I don’t want to be anything other than me”, illustrates the transcendental theme by showing that you should stay true to who you are(citation). Another example of transcendental thoughts is the movie, Pocahontas. According to Emerson's essay Nature, “In the woods, we return to reason and faith”(citation). Pocahontas has a love for nature and often goes to nature to get away from reality and think. ().The song “The Colors of the Wind”, from Pocahontas, suggest Emerson’s thought that nature is precious. The lyrics from “Colors of the Wind” suggest how Pocahontas values nature: “You think you own whatever land you land on, the Earth is just a dead thing you can claim, but I know every rock and tree and creature, has a life, has a spirit, has a name”. These are just a few of transcendental ideas existing in today's

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