Non Concurring Ideas About Conformity example essay topic

When thinking of literature in the nineteenth century, it is difficult to avoid certain themes, which reoccur in major pieces of that time, conformity and its' ideology among the most rife of these themes. The theme of conformity can be easily found in pieces like, "Resistance to Civil Government" by Henry David Thoreau; "The American Scholar" and "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil". Whether direct or indirect, concurring ideas or non-concurring ideas about conformity, it was a heavily addressed theme in 19th century literature. Professor Ann Woodlief best explains the theme of conformity's prevalence in 19th century literature in her essay, "American Romanticism (or the American Renaissance) Ann Woodlief's Introduction". .".. of American Renaissance writers: ... Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne... It is hard to understand any writer in this period without seeing numerous ties and influences, although they would each, assert their own individual vision and art and deny the most obvious influences.

They were, after all, romantic individualists!" Professor Woodlief's elucidation further expresses the foundation for which this paper is based. The writers of this time were individualists and their works, despite their content, reflected the personal "visions" of each. Individuality and originality are ideas associated with conformity. Webster defines conformity as conventional behavior, action in accordance with customs, rules prevailing opinions, etc. compliance, obedience. Therefore addressing conformity would be to expound upon actions which are an imitation, lacking originality, possibly camouflaging, and generally adopting the ideas of another or a group; each of the authors address these ways to conform, each having their own opinions on these actions' decency. The works of Emerson and Thoreau were similar in that each author's discussion of conformity took the an opposing stance.

Though two of the most closely related Renaissance writers, each took a different approach. Emerson discussed means of conforming in life in general, while Thoreau had a more political idea and patriotic view of conformity. Hawthorne's method was more subliminal, it still took the issue of conformity head on, in storytelling mode and Hawthorne even influenced by non-conformists, agreed that conformity was not always the dire act his peers thought it was. Thoreau, a prominent 19th century transcendentalist, heavily discusses conformity in one of his famous works: "Resistance to Civil Government" also known as, "Civil Disobedience". The piece is about the way society works and especially in respect to the government, and explains his night in jail for backed taxes.