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Early American literature is full of the spirit of individualism. This spirit can best

be described by Emerson when he says, "Good men must not obey the laws too well".

This view has long been an inspiration for future generations of Americans to start some

of the greatest reformations of our history. Among the literary units that show support for

Emerson's idea, there are three that are more powerful at conveying this spirit. The

Revolutionaries, the Transcendentalists, and the Dark Romantics, all support Emerson's

quote because they show that a truly righteous individual is not one that conforms to

society's standards, but rather judges his/her actions based on his/her reason and what

he/she has discovered to be right through experience.

Emerson defends his quote in Self-Reliance with his view that one cannot

derive his/her happiness from following society's standards, but rather from following

his/her own hard work. In this work,......

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Approximate Word Count: 1069
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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