Great men, great nations, have not been boasters and buffoons, but perceivers of the Terror of Life, and have manned themselves to face it ("Fate").

Some readers, critics especially, believe Ralph Waldo Emerson's writing to be unconvincing because of the optimism that seems fake and unrealistic. Harold Bloom, a very prominent figure in contemporary criticism, said that Emerson was "...by no means the greatest American writer" (1). Many critics, whom some claim did not have an open mind, said that Emerson's style of writing lacked mentioning of evil. Due to a lack of writing about evil, some critics categorize Emerson as a dreamer and do not take Emerson seriously. Many other people greatly admire Emerson's style of transcendental writing. They understand his optimism to be a search for complete answers to life's difficult situations and inner peace. In reality, scholars will always have conflicting opinions when they are criticizing works of literature. Emerson's works are no different. Even though there are people who believe that Emerson was unrealistic, others believe there were reasons for his optimistic ideas.

Some critical analysts who have studied Emerson's life in depth have understood the reasoning behind Emerson's optimistic view of life. These critics believe that Emerson was trying to open his listeners and readers up to new ideas. "For thousands of earth's children, Emerson has taken away the barriers that shut out the sun and has secured the unimpeded, cheerful circulation of the light of heaven, and the wholesome air of day" (Dewey 29). Dewey presents a view to readers that Emerson's optimism was directed toward teaching the common reader about the positive situations that life wraps for each person. The opportunities are available, but many people do not open their gift. The wrapping stays crisply secured, while the person falls apart due to their not realizing the good qualities that the world provided.

Ralph Waldo Emerson walked through a lot of turbulence during his childhood (Richardson 19). He was a slower learner than the average child was at his age, causing his reading and spelling abilities to plummet. Through most of his childhood years, the Emerson family lived in poverty so terrible that Emerson called it "the iron hand" (Adventures 212).

Emerson, by being considered a weak writer, was vulnerable to gossip about living in a paradise (Arvin 47). Many of his passages deal with unrealistic ideas such as his feelings about companionship in "Friendship." Emerson says, "But a friend is a sane man who exercises not my ingenuity but me. My friend gives me entertainment without requiring any stipulation on my part. A friend, therefore, is a sort of paradox in nature" (Adventures in American Literature 218).

Many critics have discussed Emerson's level of optimism, concluding that he was only searching for the most complete understanding of life. He was not overly optimistic. Emerson's search began during his harsh childhood. At age four, the first presence of evil appeared when the oldest brother in the family died. When Emerson experienced loss at an early age, part of his maturing process might have been damaged or altered. Only four years later, Emerson was forced to suffer with yet another death in his life. William Emerson, Ralph Waldo Emerson's father, passed away in 1811. This left Emerson's mother, Ruth, to manage teaching all five children in formal education as well as how to grow up in order to raise a family (Richardson 19-21).

Emerson also wrote about how nature provided him with only good feelings. He claimed that nature was a place of everlasting happiness where evil would not affect him. Critics believe that this unrealistic display of ideas shown by Emerson proved his presence in a fantasy world. In "Nature," Emerson's idealistic world hits an extreme.

From the beginning of Emerson's existence, he felt "imprisoned in streets and hindered from the fields and woods" (Richardson 18). This verifies that Emerson, from his young years, felt confined by the city. Due to his young age, Emerson could not move out to the country where he could spend time with nature. He wanted to get out of the city to explore the wonders that nature provided, but since he was unable to leave the clustered city, a state of depression filled his spirits.

Emerson himself claimed that he was trying to change people. He was "bringing man back to consciousness" (Kazin 31). He wanted to show people the different opportunities that were available; evil was not the only choice. A friend of Emerson's, Carlyle, told Emerson that he was "a new man in a new country" (Kazin 31). Carlyle understood that Emerson was trying to preach what he had learned;

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Approximate Word count = 2436
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)