The American Scholar Essay Research Paper According — страница 2

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out such placement, the scholar would never achieve full intellect or scholarship. One can relate Emerson?s ?The American Scholar,? to the 1994 film ?With Honors.? Brendan Fraser plays the main character, Monty, who learns to develop his education into the Emersonian ideal. The three aspects of learning can be directly related to this film for the display of learning through nature, books and action prove to be a part of the plot and theme of this film. Through the character of Simon Wilder, one can see how an individual learns through action, books and nature. Simon taught Monty many things. First, in terms of action, Simon learned that people do not see the homeless as human beings. Through their actions of shuffling by on their own time, they ignore the people at their feet,

careless for the poverty around them. Simon was not an uneducated man. He was, in fact, a smart person who learned in many ways. It seemed odd to the Harvard students that a man of such ?financial challenge,? would be reading such literature as Walt Whitman?s ?Leaves of Grass.? It is at this point that one can relate Emerson?s standpoint of learning from books to the character of Simon. Simon is the epitomized figure of Emerson?s educational society. He is one and all of a priest, scholar, statesman, producer and soldier. As priest, Simon is teaching Monty about the real world, outside the secure world of academics he is used to. As scholar, we see Simon reading Whitman?s Leaves of Grass throughout the film which proves he is not only street smart, but an intellectual as well. As

statesman, one sees Simon lecturing at Harvard. Although he is not really providing public service, he is displaying the traits of the Emersonian statesman. To Monty, Simon is the ultimate producer. He supplies Monty with knowledge of the real world that people live in, thus changing Monty?s thesis and ultimately, his life. Simon lives his life in nature, or ?in the field,? and is therefore an example of the Emersonian soldier. He has survived through thick and thin and has remained devoted to himself as a survivor. Although Simon represents Emerson?s explanation of the contributing individuals of society, nevertheless, in Simon?s world, the work is not divided equally. There is always some remainder of useless help to the world of academia and society on a whole. In this film,

one can see that the society on a whole has been cut out, for the emphasis is on the world of the main character Monty. Harvard is the center of intellectual collegiate study in the United States. Simply living in such an environment educated Simon and Monty. The submersion in the world of academia does more than to simply motivate an individual to be successful. It also inspires a person to discover their own principles and beliefs based on the facts which are taught. As one looks at this film from a the surface, it is clear that Monty is portrayed as the ?scholar.? However, as one looks into the film, it is both Monty and Simon who take on the characteristics of Emerson?s ?The American Scholar.? Monty was what one might call book smart. He knew what he had to do to impress his

professor and graduate with honors. It was Simon, and his common sense and street smarts which taught Monty a great deal. In Emersonian terms, it was the actions of Simon which changed Monty?s self-education. At first, one can see that Monty is receiving a somewhat well rounded, highly intellectual ?Harvard? education. However, it is after he meets Simon that his character and education become more open minded. Here, one can relate the character transition to Emerson?s active learning. Monty did not learn to be a better person and write a better thesis through a book, he learned it through the actions and words of Simon. In terms of Nature, the film merely provided a setting for the characters to grow in. As Emerson read ?The American Scholar,? at Harvard, it is very interesting

that this film was set there. Perhaps it is to give the audience somewhat of a sense of scholarship, or to present that scholarship in a false way to allow the characters change. In a film it is easy to relate such aesthetics as lighting, camera movement, blocking etc., to the overall theme of the film. However, when looking at Emerson and relating it to With Honors, it is unnecessary to include such aspects for the deeper content holds the underlying theme of Emerson?s American scholar.