1. TRANSCENDENTALISM

2. "We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds...A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.“ - Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. WHAT IS TRANSCENDENTALISM ?
-search for an original relation to the universe
sought this relation in solitude amidst nature, and in their writing
-anti-conformist attitudes / celebration of the individual mind
emphasis on the innate worth of the individual was thought as a logical spiritual extension of the political principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence
-focus and celebration of nature

4. wrote famous essay NATURE
Famous Transcendentalists
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most of the Transcendentalists became involved as well in social reform movements, especially
anti-slavery and women's rights.
wrote famous essay NATURE
Henry David Thoreau
wrote WALDEN

5. Nature: Emerson first sought an answer to the question of the place of man in a "science" of nature. His essay, Nature, was published in 1836, and is the main text by Emerson and about transcendantalism. It  is divided into 8 parts.

6. Walden is an American book written by noted Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, and manual for self reliance.
Published in 1854, it details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond, amidst woodland owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts.
Thoreau hoped to isolate himself from society to gain a more objective understanding of it. Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other goals, and the whole project was inspired by transcendentalist philosophy, a central theme of the American Romantic Period.

7. DEAD POET’S SOCIETY
“Carpe diem…seize the day boys…make your lives extraordinary.” -John Keating

8. The film Dead Poet’s Society explores the concept of individualism in great depth. The numerous conflicts that the characters face throughout the movie demonstrate the fundamental principles of transcendentalism.

9. The four pillars of Welton Academy:
Dead Poets' Society
SETTING: film takes place at the ritzy Welton Academy, a boys' boarding school.
The four pillars of Welton Academy:
Tradition
Honor
Discipline
Excellence

10. Charles Dalton
Todd Anderson
Neil Perry
John Keating
Knox Overstreet

11. THEMES Boys striving for self-realization (identity)
Authority versus non-conformity
Power of charismatic leaders (charming leader)
Realism versus idealism
Effect of family pressure
Rebellion / Fight for Individualism