AboutTue Sorensen Expertise I am an authority on the complete works of Shakespeare, and can answer any questions relating to his plays, poetry and life. I specialize in interpretation, double-meanings and translation into modern language.
Experience I was a top-rated Allexperts expert on this same subject several years ago.
Organizations Former member of the Danish Shakespeare Society, as well as an active participant in the scholarly SHAKSPER mailing list.
Education/Credentials Three years of studying English literature at the University of Aarhus, Denmark
Question Emerson is widely studied in high schools, and yet high school seems like the type of society Emerson puts down in "Self-Reliance." How is high school society at odds with Emerson's philosophy? Why do you think high schools continue to teach Emerson anyway?
Answer Hi Alice,
This sounds like a homework question. Have you read the essay? Don't you have any comments about what he says and how it may or may not conflict with the high school lifestyle? You are supposed to provide your own input.
But maybe I can give you a few pointers. Emerson says that we should avoid conformity, both in our behavior and our thinking. We should follow our own ideas. This is always good advice. We need to *think* about things, rather than just learn a lot of information by heart. Because only if we are capable of independent thought can we make qualified ethical judgments, and be original and free-willed human beings, and find our own unique destiny. This is true. But is following Emerson's advice at odds with high school life? No, not necessarily. High school, after all, aims to educate the students so they can become well-balanced people who contribute to the further development of all civilization. You can easily be a free-thinking and original human being while being in high school. In fact, you are endangering your future and your personal development by giving up high school, even if you think high school is too rigid and narrow. If you are an original person with a lot of independent ideas, then you should be able to excel in high school. Of course, high school *can* be boring and may at times seem pointless, but then you should simply cultivate some additional interests or hobbies of your own, while still following your high school classes.
The human brain is a fantastic and marvelous thing, and the more it learns, the better it becomes at learning! If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. And if you're in high school, you should do your very best to do well in your classes. But you should do it because it is a great way for your mind to evolve and for your future to be a bright one - you shouldn't do it because it's what the teachers or anyone else want or expect. You should forge your own path through high school, and supplement it with interests of your own. In fact, the whole world and almost every subject imaginable are extremely interesting, once you know a good deal about them. When you know a lot, you become more and more thirsty for even more knowledge. Use the internet, use the library, find some smart friends, and start reaping the satisfying benefits of study! That's how you become a successful and knowledgable human being. And that's how you become what Emerson would like you to become.
