Essay | Concept of Self-Reliance

According to Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance," "To be great is to be misunderstood." In other words, if we do not conform to the standards of society we will be misunderstood and if we act and think and talk exactly as everyone else, we will never run the risk of being taken the wrong way. Furthermore, this quote shows the lack of acceptance of new thought and theory during Emerson's generation. This concept is clearly demonstrated through the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury where Montag, the protagonist, desperately looks to define and comprehend his own life and purpose by means of books, and through the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain where Jim, one protagonist, is incorrectly viewed by society and is the complete opposite of their expectations.

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Montag begins to lose faith in his profession and his society,...
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