Ideal Scholar Essay

516 Words3 Pages
Emerson’s words in the excerpt from The Amercian Scholar are extremely influential, not just for students in school, but for all people interested in learning. Emerson’s main beliefs seem to be that the past is the greatest influence of the future, and that the best way to learn about the past is through books. The excerpt emphasizes how important books are and how the lessons in books can be applied to any part of any life. Books have the ability to make readers believe what they are reading is true. Truth, however, can be what the author perceives as true, or the proven truth. Because of this, readers must be able to decipher what is true to them in each book, and if these truths are applicable to their lives. The truths of older books tend to have less relevance in the lives of the present and the future. If a books ‘truths’ are timeless, Emerson believed that they would be considered “genius.” To be able to identify with past works gives you a strong sense of a connection to the author who may have lived hundreds of years before you. In the excerpt, Emerson states, “the eyes of a man are set in his forehead, not his hindhead”, meaning that looking forward is an important part of understanding the past. Besides pointing out the importance of the past in books, Emerson warns of the dangers of readings a book the ‘wrong way.’ That somewhat nostalgic feeling a reader gets when connecting to a work that may be hundreds of years old, may make the reader want to only read older works. Emerson alludes to the ‘bookworm’ being the opposite of ‘Man Thinking.’ This basically means that focusing solely on past authors ideas through older works may hinder readers from delving into new ways of thinking. In his words, “man hopes : genius creates.” Genius may be impeded by the influence of books, leading to Emerson suggesting that “books are for the scholar’s idle times.”
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