The American Scholar (Part III)

       I had a discussion with Mr. Cook and David today after the class about the purpose of Emerson's work. We concluded that he wrote this paper to address the importances of the scholars and to point out their flaws.
       Just like the beginning story of "body"and Mankind versus men, the people in the society is now separated from each other. Mankind should work as a system that includes every person and his profession. Emerson says the scholars are like the brain of the system, implementing knowledge to benefit the rest of the society. Likewise, the farmers, lawyers, teachers, doctors are using their profession not only to make a living, but also to give out what they have to the society. The scholars who are the leaders should emphasis this idea. In fact, they only sit around and "think" about philosophies alone without publishing to the society to benefit others. The purpose of Emerson's speech is to point out the significant of revealing scholars' influences to the whole society.
  

The American Scholar (Part II)

       Today in class, we talked about the "influences" that Emerson wrote in his American Scholar. I found it difficult to follow his ideas  while just reading it. Most of the time I have to read through a sentence more than two times and look up some words.

Emerson....and The American Scholar

       My first impression of Emerson is that...he is so smart!! How can a human being's mind function so well like his. Emerson emerged as an important scholar in the nineteenth century, and even now, his influence on the American literature is undeniable. At first, I can hardly understand his written work without help! However, after the class discussion, I found his ideas about American scholars interesting.
       During the class, we talked about the introduction and the first influence-Nature. Emerson believed that human beings should function as a large system. He explained it by starting out a story (a fable) comparing the system to human body. In the past, humans had been worked together, and they were all contributing to improve the public. However, he says that most people were focusing only on their personal accomplishment, but forget he/she was also a part of the body.Just like a hand that has a lot of fingers. If they work separately, then the hand itself will lost it's capability to function as a hand.
       In part one, Emerson was trying to emphasis the importance of nature that is associated with the mind. He states that the nature the human minds are connected with each other. Only by learning about circulation of the universe, can human fully realize how their minds work.

The Poor Indians....(Apess+Occom)

       Both passages illustrates the poor conditions of the Indians that are mostly caused by the white men. Although both Apess and Occom were educated unlike others, their points of view for the Indians were quit different.
       Apess stood up for the Indians and criticized the white men who had been living by the Christianity, but only followed the rules if they wanted to. He expressed the races equality; no one was better than any other. I found it interesting how he named his work as "An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man." He was sending the massage to the white men that they are just a bunch of fools in Indian's eyes. I was really surprised of his idea that Jesus was a colored man, such a slap in the white men's face. However, Occom who was also well educated wrote in a different tone. He showed his sympathy for the poor Indians. He acted like he is "white men produced," and now helping out his brothers.
       These two Indian men ended up differently after the same education background. Apess's work expressed much anger than the one of Occom; however, they both succeed illustrating the flaws of the white men.