Apess and Emerson

While reading both Apess and Emerson’s writings I found myself reading out loud by the end of the first pages. Both works are done in a way that sound as if they are meant to be spoken, however only Emerson’s American Scholar is an actual address. The significance of this style of writing is not very clear to me, however I feel that both serve as templates that allows the reader to be moved by what is said. I was very moved by “An Indian’s Looking Glass for the White Man.” In many ways, it not only speaks of the injustice faced by the native Indians, but encompasses the idea of humanity, the meaning of the human spirit, and a spiritual perspective on the concept of love. My initial impression of this work came from the understanding that Apess speaks not only for himself, but for every person that is disregarded as a citizen. I find that his use of Bible scripture as basis for his argument on equality is an ingenious way to demonstrate the irony of white man’s social injustice. Those men who followed the Bible as good men of their time believed “He who loveth God loveth his brother also.” (1 John 4.21) We know to well though that the native Indians were not treated with the respect of a brother. If we compare Emerson’s work here we will see that his work is also ironic, but in a different way.

Although I was also very inspired by Emerson’s use of words and language at times it was very difficult to follow and grasp his ideas. I gathered the overall concept of the American Scholar through his discussion of nature, books, and action, but also gave note to the fact that he consistently addressed the scholar as man or “man thinking.” I believe that he writes with an androcentric mentality deliberately excluding women from the school of thought and intellect. In section III, Emerson writes that society degraded clergymen as scholars of the past by comparing them to women. "I have heard it said that the clergy . . . the scholars of their day--are addressed as women" One would imagine that a man thinking such as Emerson could fathom the idea that women were of equal mind of men, there in lying the irony.

It is difficult to give a definitive answer in the way both works compare, however I find that the greatest significance of studying these writings together is their contrast. Both demonstrate use of irony as I understand it and question our interpretation of equality. I cannot imagine a time where one could believe another person to be inferior because of gender or race; however we learn that it can be a subjective arena that many writers have used to express their opinions and perceptions of society.