Ralph Waldo Emerson and Transcendentalism
Like Thoreau, Emerson challenged the intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of his day
Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, as well as friend of Henry David Thoreau, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a critic of the countervailing pressures of society, making him a natural model for Christopher’s own rebellious character in my young adult adventure series, Central Park Story.
‘Our chief want,’ he once wrote, ‘is someone who will inspire us to be what we know what we could be.’
As my series progresses, Christopher passes through several such mentors who inspire him to be what he knows he could be, until he comes to express his own unique individuality in true Transcendentalist style.
