Individual Advancement vs Democracy

A detailed Summary of Individual Advancement vs Democracy

"God helps them that help themselves" (Poor Richards Almanack, 722), a phrase commonly quoted from "Poor Richard's Almanacks", illustrates the types of selfishness often seen during Benjamin Franklin's time. Or does it? Is wanting and striving for a better self so bad? Would the reader of such phrase think to himself "Wow, the author is really self-absorbed" or "The author must be a hard worker who values self improvement"? Either way, the real question is why doesn't it say "..... those that help others" instead "..... them that help themselves". You are taught as a young child the importance of thinking of others first and group effort. It is continuously reinforced throughout all areas of your life, including school and work. Everyone knows that at some time or another in your life you won't be able to do everything by yourself. In other words, you'll need others and this is where the democratic community comes in. However during the 18th century, this was not the point. The freedom of self-government we had struggled so hard and long for had become no more than a night's dream erased by the morning sun. Democracy and self-advancement were in a race for the gold as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne though

Franklin, Hawthorne, and Emerson all believed their idea was the right one, but the fact is neither were right. The Individualism and/vs. Community can best be summed up by Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" where he said, "Individualism is a novel expression, to which a novel idea has given birth" (Individualism and/vs. Community, 1308).

Hawthorne, on the other hand, felt completely different about the coexistence of government and individuality. One of his most persistent themes was that of the antagonism between the individual and society (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 2193). He also speaks of the dangers of isolation and the importance of self-knowledge. In "My Kinsman, Major Molineux", the youth is desperately seeking his second cousin who is supposed to be fairly wealthy. During one visit to the young man's home, the kinsman, Major Molineux, shows interest in having the child come and stay with him where he may help him enter adulthood. As the story progresses, the young guy is sent on his way at 18 in good clothing and with money in his pocket. Nonetheless, while waiting on his cousin he falls to sleep while waiting to see his kinsmen. He dreams that he sees his kinsman and that he is not at all what he expected and that although his kinsman (society) sees him, he just continues on his way, leaving him behind. When the boy is awakened he decides that he doesn't need his cousin and that he would rather leave town on the first ferry. What Hawthorne was saying is that society is not there for personal advancement and that to advance you have to sacrifice some part of yourself in a democratic community. In Hawthorne's description of the kinsman (society), he makes him overpowering and stiff. He wanted to show the uncaring society when it comes to the lone man. He then goes on to have the character of the young man say that he saw society and it saw him, but it didn't want to see him again. It was as if to say that because he was not with the parade of people representing the democratic community that he was unwanted and that he would not be able to succee

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Approximate Word count = 1411
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics