Sanchez 1

Isabella Sanchez
Mrs. Storer
English 3H
1/21/20
Socratic Circle Reflection on Emerson and Thoreau
During the discussion I did not contribute, mainly because I did not feel confident with
the evidence and interpretations I had of the stories. Looking back now and reading what I had
come up with I’m mad with myself for not saying what I had. It is evident that I had pretty good
points and arguments, but now I know that I should trust myself and my work a lot more. For the
next discussion I won’t let myself feel conscious of my work and share my opinion. But other
than that, it is safe to say that I was paying very close attention to what my inner circle shared.
From observing my inner circle, I saw how almost everyone had the same perspective on
the story’s. The people that really moved the conversation along were Christian and John, they
both asked questions to spark new ideas in the circle. I also think Miguel did a really good job as
he shared his input and controlled the group in a well-ordered manner, he took initiative as the
group leader. We just talked about Emerson’s Nature and Self Reliance, for next time maybe we
should do one question for each essay so we can get the chance to share our opinion on all the
essays instead of just two.
Thesis Statement:
Transcendentalist writers such as Emerson and Thoreau turn to nature as a role model to
show people how to improve the quality of their lives by living simply, making the best of what
they have, and refraining from passing judgment on others.
If I were to write this essay, I would explain what a transcendentalist writer is, and how
both Emerson and Thoreau are transcendentalist writers. One quote I would have used to further
the readers understanding on how they improve the quality of their lives by simply living, would
be from Thoreau’s Walden, “Why should we live with such a hurry and waste of life?” (Thoreau
215). A concrete detail I would use to explain how they refrained from passing judgment on
others would be from Emerson’s Self-Reliance, “What I must do, is all that concerns me, not
what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the
whole distinction between greatness and meanness” (Emerson 195). Throughout the essay I
would try to put one quote from each writer to show how they are even more similar and create a
further understanding of transcendentalist writers.
I can connect with Emerson’s Nature in two ways; how he sees God in nature and how
being in nature is always calming. Throughout this literacy piece Emerson states multiple times
how nature resembles God and his kingdom, for example, “preserve for many generations the
remembrance of the city of God which had been shown” (Emerson 191). Emerson says that
nature resembles God and his kingdom, and I truly believe this as well because, nature is one of
the ways in which God has revealed Himself to humanity. In this literary piece Emerson also
contributed as to how nature is always welcoming and comforting, “Nature never wears a mean
appearance neither does the wisest man extort her secret and lose his curiosity by find out all her
perfections” (Emerson 191). Emerson compares nature to a wise man, and I can see the
resemblance when you’re in nature you are closer to God, and it a great way to find the answers
you are looking for. He also says that nature never wears a mean appearance an this is extremely
true, from personal experience I can agree to this. When you are in nature whether it be watching
the sunset, sitting on the beach, going for a hike, you are always at peace.