My brain just died.

http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/e/emerson/ralph_waldo/e53e/part2.html

I have to write a 3-4 page reaction to that and my brain died two paragraphs into it.

"My reaction to this is that is was to long. Blah blah blah....repeat for 3 pages"

[CodeRed68]

my brain died before i could finish the third sentance - 1st paragraph.

SHe said you're reaction to it. If you read it and thought. Wow that was way to long, this sucks. She would have to accept it?

[Rand0m]

didnt finish the first sentence

[[ecgn] btt]

Just copy the thing and turn it in. O with one little change. Everywhere it says man. Change it to woman.

[PraiseA||ah]

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

Here's what I have so far...

About two paragraphs into Emerson’s second essay, Self-Reliance, I

thought I felt my brain die. But what exactly is he trying to say? I kept thinking to myself. Emerson’s essay makes me prefer the plain style by far. Does “writing the soul” and “expressing oneself” have to mean writing in dense and just plain terrible style? I hope not.

Somebody needs to tell Emerson that less is more. I understand that he wants to encourage people to think for themselves, but does he really need to use so many words in order to get his point across? His argument just gets lost in this mess that he calls an essay.

I'm stuck now.

[Ruci]

This essay is absolutely sweet. What is wrong with you people?

[PraiseA||ah]

Originally posted by girl
Here's what I have so far...

About two paragraphs into Emerson’s second essay, Self-Reliance, I

thought I felt my brain die. But what exactly is he trying to say? I kept thinking to myself. Emerson’s essay makes me prefer the plain style by far. Does “writing the soul” and “expressing oneself” have to mean writing in dense and just plain terrible style? I hope not.

Somebody needs to tell Emerson that less is more. I understand that he wants to encourage people to think for themselves, but does he really need to use so many words in order to get his point across? His argument just gets lost in this mess that he calls an essay.

I'm stuck now.

Try harder! Put down 'the internet' and go study, girl! And I mean that in the best possible way.

Seriously though, take a breath, step away from it for a few minutes and try reading it again. It really is quite a nice piece.

[Chacal]

This is where I would usually berate young people for their shallowness and lack of concentration.

But in that particular case, I have to agree with Girl, even though I resent her new boobless avatar.

This essay is dry as the Sahara desert, and when you drag yourself up to the top of a dune, all you can see is other dunes ad infinitum.

What IS funny about your post is that it goes exactly against one of the essayist main theme, which is "accept your lot and trust your abilities".

Essays are often written in whatever litterary style was the current fashion at the time. Apparently in the early 1800s explaining simple ideas over and over again was in, or people were dumber than now, or both.

Girl, I suggest you condense each paragraph in one very short sentence. For example paragraph 3 can be summarized as "Trust yourself". Eliminate redundancies. Then discuss about what's left.

For further help about "Self-Reliance", may I suggest this link:

http://www.transcendentalists.com/self_reliance_analysis.htm

Be aware, though, that your teacher certainly knows all about that site.

I just started reading "The Plague" by Camus for the fifth time just now. I love that book.

[PraiseA||ah]

Originally posted by Chacal

...even though I resent her new boobless avatar.

Ah... yes. More to the point. I couldn't agree more.

For those upset about the boobless avatar, here's some eye candy.



Discuss why (or why not) The Plague by Albert Camus is a metaphor for WWII here. This is actually a literary topic I am interested in.

[TiNM@N]

Bravo Zulu!!!