Emerson and Thoreau

In English 11 we are in the middle of studying the Transcendentalism Literary movement. This is by far one one of (if not my most) favorite time in the classroom. We get to discuss why going against conformity and the "comfortableness" of society is good. It also allows students to see that silence can also create great ideas and that all things tie back to nature.

After doing research on Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau we find that these two gentlemen were often found in trouble for voicing their opinions and making sure many people heard.

This movement and idea of "do-it-yourself" and "individualism" is ever present in our current culture. We discussed current popular movies that have Transcendental ideas, like The Matrix, and Avatar. Ask your student to fill you in on how those movies are snap shots of Transcendental thought.

Today we are actually reading "Civil Disobedience" and will be watching a few clips from a great movie that truly illustrates Emerson and Thoreau's ideas, The Dead Poets Society.

 

 

 

Up Coming Date to Remember:

• March 9th - End of Term 3
• March 15th - Parent Teacher Conferences 4pm-7pm
• March 26th-30th - Spring Break