The Over-Soul is similar to reincarnation, where after one person dies, that person will come back to life, but in a different form, such as an animal, an insect, or a human. Emerson's works define being an American because they gave him the freedom to write what he wanted, and that is what sticks out the most to me. Also, his works define being a Transcendentalist because they include descriptions of the deep sense of nature, human soul, and individualism. .
Next, Thoreau, the protégé of Emerson, went through tough experiences to understand Transcendentalism and to be in harmony with nature. In Walden, Thoreau spends two years living in a cottage-which he made-next to Walden Pond in the woods. He experienced nature and the beauty of it. Walden Pond was miles away from any society, but he thought, "the village was too far from [the nature]," (Thoreau). The society is moving away from the nature and moving closer to industries. This personally open a new state of mind on what our world has come to-moving further away from what we should love. While living at Walden Pond, he was seeking the very essence of life and to find the truth of nature. He stated that "things do not change; we change" (Thoreau). He implies that nature should not change for the people; we should change with the nature. In, "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau urges people to resist the governmental policies with which they disagree. This challenged people to go for what they believe in. Thoreau protested against the government due to the war between Texas and Mexico. Thoreau states, " 'That [the] government is best which governs least' 'That government is best which governs not at all,'" (Thoreau). The government over thinks of what they are doing, that's why Thoreau recognizes that the government is not responsible to revolutionize. In addition, the army is not bad, it's just, "an arm of the standing government," (Thoreau).
