In Emerson, Thoreau, Krakauer, and Donovan’s writings, there are many underlying themes that become evident throughout the stories. One of the most prominent themes expressed is the element of self-reliance. All four authors convey self-reliance as a desire of one to accomplish feats without assistance from parents, and that it helps to give a sense of importance and independence. Civil Disobedience, Self-Reliance, Into the Wild, and “It’s All On Me” all include self-reliance as a vital element. In Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, the importance of self-reliance is stressed, stating that “Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step forward to obtaining it.” Thoreau, in this quote from his story, calls for self-reliance, not self-reliance for one man, self-reliance as a nation. He believes that if the people will do right, rely on themselves rather than the government, then the overbearing government would not have to be as powerful. Thoreau believed in the motto, “The government is best which governs least.” He trusted the people to be reliable enough to run a government which did not have to govern much. This trust he puts into the people of the newfounded United States is an example of early transcendentalism. …show more content…
Transcendentalism, a movement started in the 1820’s and 30’s, is revealed multiple times throughout the story. One example is “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you; the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.” Emerson is expressing the value of self-reliance to one’s personality in the sentence. Emerson says to trust yourself, for each person is in the place they are for a reason, that there is a divine providence set in stone for