Self-reliance. I will, in the following, discuss the theme of self-reliance in the above-mentioned texts. But what exactly is self-reliance? In his 1841 publication called Essays, Ralph Waldo Emerson includes an essay simply entitled Self-Reliance in which he states “Trust thyself…Great men have always done so and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age…” . Self-reliance is thus defined as the ability to be your own master and to seek your own fortune free …showed first 75 words of 1063 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1063 total…itself at the base of the American culture and literature in particular played a key part in this manifestation. Self-reliance defined the thought of American exceptionalism to the point where it gave birth to the American dream. Literature was itself influenced by these developments, but it also helped further them by spreading the above-mentioned notions to the common people. In any case the 2 texts are among the best American literature I have ever read. 1061 words