Honors American Literature
Anti-Transcendentalist Micro-theme Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and compose a Micro-theme essay.
Please see handouts on micro-themes. I do not want a lengthy dissertation, rather a focused responseessay that is accurately and articulately supported.
Topic 1: Compare (similarities)OR Contrast (differences) the writing of 2 authors we have studied this unit. At least ONE of your authors must be an anti-transcendentalist. You may wish to analyze the message, the writing style, the purpose, tone, effect, etc. but pick one of these with which to focus your writing. Make sure your thesis is CLEAR and SPECIFIC.
Topic 2: Many anti-transcendental authors have some roots in transcendentalism. Hawthorne actually lived at Brook Farms; Melville tries to uncover the true spirit of nature. How does Melville and Hawthorne incorporate some transcendental ideas into their works, but remain anti-transcendental in their messages? Use specific examples from the readings to support your paper.
Topic 3: In Moby Dick, Ahab shows great determination and inner conflict as he struggles to understand the role of nature and the complexities of the universe. Ultimately, the relationship he has with nature and that nature has with him are mutually destructive. How does Ahab illustrate Self-Reliance Gone Mad? You must define Self-Reliance and how it pertains to intuition before you can address its destruction.
Topic 4: How are views of nature and/or human nature contrasted between transcendentalists and anti-transcendentalists? You may use a variety of work to support your ideas here.
Topic 5: Use elements of anti-transcendentalist works, (Moby Dick would work well here) to support OR refute the following statement:
“We live in a neutral universe that has ‘meaning’ only in our human perception, and historical actualities are our only guides to truth.”
Topic 6: Transcendentalists see the “god in all of us.” Discuss how a “god complex” can lead to the ruination of man specifically from Moby Dick. In Moby Dick, some elements may suggest that Ahab exhibits a “god-complex” (thinks of himself as a demi-god).Argue whether or not he does, in fact, have a “god-complex”and support your claims with specific movie or text examples. You may not flip-flop…meaning you must take a position.
Topic 7: Open topic. You may choose to explore a different avenue, but you MUST be careful with this one. Your thesis MUST be clear and specific and it MUST be ANALYTICAL. This is not a topic for you to show how a work is anti-transcendental, but rather, you must examine a compare/contrast of ideas.