Henry David Thoreau’s and Walt Whitman’s Views on Individuality

The nineteenth-century of America was a Lime in which resistance, passion, and freedom were tossed around in a pot of ideas. These ideas, delicate and particular, were brought up by two of the nation's most influential authors, Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman These two authors advanced the time period's humanitarian efforts of inclusion an the defense of citizenship, while still defining their own sense of individuality Thoreau and Whitman relied heavily on their own image of themselves. They both helped Americans identify with them to progress each individual idea of "the self" Thoreau and Whitman revolutionized America's lofty reputation by individualizing their own image of "the self" in their active disregard to slavery, racism, and conformity in addition to raised awareness of sexuality through the lens of a nineteenth-century American Henry David Thoreau, the nineteenth-century author and poet discusses his personal image of "the self" in his work "Resistance to Civil Government."

Thoreau feistily approaches the idea of government; its flaws, its bonuses, and the ways he believes it to be fixed, Thoreau views himself in a positive light in accordance with his fellow Americans while still hanging onto a definite sense of individuality. Thoreau finds the hypocritical democracy America had adopted to be faulty Thoreau speaks about racism and prejudices in America - the infectious and detrimental bug called slavery. Thoreau traces the trends of early America and views conformity as a dangerous and harmful problem, He speaks about slavery when he writes, "There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.

When the majority shall at length vote for the abolition of slavery, it will be because they are indifferent to slavery, or because there is but little slavery left to be abolished by their vote. They will then be the only slaves." In this passage, Thoreau writes, "They will then be the only slaves," referring to his fellow Americans who believe in equality, yet also believe in slavery. This paradoxical statement was exactly the kind of Americans Thoreau felt threatened by Thoreau's idea of "the self” is grounded in a community made up of many different ideas. However, in America, this ”majority," as referred to in the quote, is a group founded on indifference Indifference is, consider by Thoreau, to be the problem. Those who will go along with whatever anyone else thinks are why the nation sufferst The ”slaves" will be those who cannot make their own decisions, and will merely follow the crowd.

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This action will, consequently, disregard their own personal values and will eventually turn them into brainless robots, Thoreau introduces an interestingjuxtaposition to American culture, the balance of individuality, respect, and communal interest against racism, prejudice, and hate - something some of the citizens of America had not previously considered. Just as Thoreau views himself as an individual through other individuals in his community, Walt Whitman also knows and appreciates himself as a human being through his surroundings; nature, neighbors, and the philosophical questions that fill his head. Whitman also tackles the harder questions for the early American society in his lengthy and packed poem, "Song of Myself," Whitman discovers, observes and retrieves any and all information from his surroundings and translates that into his written word.

Not only do we see Whitman's idea of "the self" in the very art he creates, but we see it in his particular words. Whitman broke many barriers with his poetry, but especially with ”Song of Myself," At this point in time, poetic meter and rhyme was a calculated, formulaic form of self—expression. Whitman's use of free verse, the untamed platform of writing in ”Song of Myself," displays his disregard for rules. This distinction struck many as peculiar, but this neglect reflects Whitman's nonconformist tendencies, something him and Thoreau have in common. Whitman, along with Thoreau, was also an advocate against slavery and racism alike. Whitman displays his hatred for slavery to an extreme in this poem. In fact, he not only displays hatred for the persecution ofAfrican-Americans, but he displays his physical and emotion love for them even more.

"His glance is calm and commanding, he tosses the slouch of his hat away from his forehead, the sun falls on his crispy hair and mustache, falls on the black of his polish’d and perfect limbs. //I behold the picturesque giant and love him, and I do not stop there, I go with the team also." Whitman tears down many of the social constructs surrounding racism and the racial tendencies when he uses these lines to describe the African-American man. The language that Whitman chose to support his description border the realm of sexual interest. The phrases "polish‘d and perfect limbs," and "I behold the picturesque giant and love him," have traces of physical affection that Whitman might feel for the African-American man he is describing. The verb ”fall” that is used twice in the second line is not an aggressive verb. ”Fall," in this context, is soft, slow, and gentle. Whitman uses this word because of its romantic tint, creating a slightly strange read for his audience.

This passage also makes audiences question Whitman's ultimate motives when discussing racism and slavery. Is Whitman doing this to help African-Americans, or is he merely using them as an example just to include everyone in his poem? Whitman, earlier on in the poem, provides a lengthy list of those in his community that he appreciates. He lists the occupations of the people that surround him and he glories in them, In theory, Whitman could have been using this example to prove a point, but his particular framing of the issue gives off the idea that Whitman tried to glorify African-Americans in the extreme.

Both texts, "Resistance to Civil Government," by Henry David Thoreau and "Song of Myself," by Walt Whitman illuminate a side of America that their respective audiences would not be able to see if the two were not together. Separately, these two works display the common theme of a voiced opinion, and of an active, progressive resistance. However, when they are placed together, we see these nineteenth-century artists fostering and relishing in a sense of community. Thoreau and Whitman, in these two works, cherish a broad community, Their respect for the American ideal is strong, but they feel, as reflected in their work, that the execution is poor. The torturous treatment of fellow Americans, as these two may have put it, does not accomplish anything positive, these two authors and many others in this period of time resisted false judgments successfully.

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