João Augusto Camacho Ralph Waldo Emerson Internal Conflict of the Soul: A Romantic Unsolved Issue Doctoral Thesis in American Studies Coordinators Carole M. Shaffer-Koros, Ph.D. (Kean University) Mário Carlos Fernandes Avelar, Ph.D. (Universidade Aberta) Universidade Aberta 2010 Camacho 2 Acknowledgments There are many people whose lives have touched mine in ways that have been significant for the writing of this thesis. Some influences have been personal, others academic. In considering the latter, I am spiritually, literally, academically and personally very grateful to Professor Dr. Carole M. Shaffer- Koros, who, when I was a last-year master’s student at Kean University, encouraged me to pursue a scholarly career. This thesis would not exist, of course, without the unconditional and generous, intellectual and social feeling of Professor Dr. Mário Carlos Fernandes Avelar. I also want to add a word of thanks to Professor Dr. Jeffrey Scott Childs who sent me some fruitful ideas in having me read particular Romantic authors. In addition, I wish to thank our former chairperson of the English Department at Kean University, Professor Dr. Robert J. Cirasa, who read this work and made some helpful suggestions. I also do not wish to fail in expressing my gratitude to Professor Dr. Bernard Weinstein. The personal influences that led to the writing of this dissertation began long before the conception of this book itself. My uncle, Professor Dr. Garcia, was the first major force in my life that made this spirit alive. It was he who read to me as a young boy the books that he himself loved: books that helped Camacho 3 to give me a positive and negative image of myself. It was he who indulged me, despite financial difficulties, with the opportunity to study. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Nelma Sofia Lameiras Moreira, and Mr. Arif for their moral support. I am also grateful to my wife, son, and my daughter, Ana Maria, Hugo and Catarina, for their warmth, love and passion at the time I was writing this work. Camacho 4 Table of Contents Abstract:.............................. 6 Resumo:.............................. 7 Introduction:........................... 8 Chapter One: An Internal Conflict of the Soul: Some Critical and Theoretical Approaches . 15 Chapter Two: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Heterogeneous Influences..........................82 Chapter Three: Emerson: The Ambiguity of the Self… Past, Nature, History, Language, Religion and Culture............................112 Chapter Four: The Nature and Functions of the Poet within Romantic Philosophy-The Other half is his expression.........................178 Chapter Five: Reasoning and Understanding: Vectors Camacho 5 ofRomanticDilemma................. 235 Chapter Six: The Metaphysical and Divine Worlds: Romantic-Scientific Ideologies . 260 Chapter Seven: Emerson’s Quest for Romantic Truth: Beauty,Suffering,Intuition, Love, and Immortality ......... ...................... 301 Conclusion............................350 Bibliography...........................356 Camacho 6 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to identify Emerson’s Conflict of the Soul in the context of 19th century American spiritual quest as the country was searching for its own identity. As back- ground, this thesis explores basic differences between American and European Romantic discourse (s). The first two chapters prepare the theoretical framework, outlining two main aspects of European Romanticism: first, the new attitudes toward nature; the dichotomy between consciousness and unconsciousness; the discrepancy between reality and appearance to transcend outer and inner phenomenon; art and history; and different meanings and origin of the word “romantic;” second, the intellectual climate (Emerson’s heterogeneous influences) or intellectual love and scientific vision to affirm the Principium of Individualism, to celebrate the conflict between microcosm and macrocosm, the taste of foreign and domestic artistic, the polarities and fragmentations of the Romantic self to sing his own song of allegiance and introduce a distinctive literary language and forms to express Transcendental ideas. Chapter One explores his Transcendentalism and Romantic spirit. The vision of the new organic theory of evolution is explored in Chapter Two. Chapter Three describes the two-fold geometrical approaches (Reasoning and Understanding: Vectors of Romantic Dilemma) to unveil the secret enigmas of Emerson’s discourse. Finally, Chapter Four examines the roots of Emerson’s Quest for Romantic Truth; it explores his rational and irrational impulses to define Romanticism as the problematic issue between inner and outer worlds. Romantic attitude, then, becomes the work of art, the culmination and result of creative product: the vehicle through which Emerson’s Conflict of the Soul: A Romantic Unsolved Issue is connected to romantic themes and symbolic circumstances of his life: Beauty, Love, Suffering, and Immortality emerge, then, as recurrent and interrelated themes from the beginning of Romanticism in 1800s. Emerson is portrayed as the innovator not only of a new philosophy called Transcendentalism, but also as an American democratic poet, who secures moral perfectibility for his society. Camacho 7 RESUMO O objectivo deste estudo é o de identificar o tema Emerson’s Conflict of the Soul no contexto do Séc. XIX, durante o qual a América procurava defenir a sua própria identidade através duma procura espirítual. Tendo em conta o passado, esta tese, explora as diferenças básicas entre os discursos românticos Europeu e Americano. Os primeiros dois capítulos preparam um quadro teórico, delineando dois principais aspectos do Romatismo Europeu: as novas atitudes perante a natureza; a dicotomia entre o consciente e o inconsciente; a discrepância entre a realidade e a aparência para transcender o fenómeno externo e interno; arte e história; e diferentes significados e origem da palavra “romântico;” em segundo lugar, o clima intelectual (Influências heterogéneas de Emerson), ou o amor intelectual e visão científica para afirmar o Principium of individualism; para celebrar o conflito entre o microcosmo e o macrocosmo; o gosto artístico estrangeiro; as polaridades e fragmentações do eu romântico para cantar a sua própria canção de fidelidade e introduz uma distinta linguagem literária e formas para manifestar ideais transcendentais. A visão da nova teoria orgânica da evolução é desenvolvida no segundo capítulo. O terceirro capitulo descreve duas abordagens geométricas (Razão e Compreensão: Vectores do Dilema Romântico) com o objectivo de desvendar os enigmas secretos do discurso de Emerson. Finalmente, o quarto capítulo examina as raízes de Emerson’s Quest of Romantic Truth ; os seus impulsos racionais e irracionais ; o conflicto entre mundo interior e exterior. Conclui-se que a atitude romântica se torna objecto do discurso artistico, culminar e resultado do produto criativo, e veículo através do qual Emerson’s Conflict of Soul: A Romantic Unsolved Issue surge associado aos temas românticos e a circunstâncias simbólicas da sua vida : Beauty, Love, Suffering, and Immortality, emergem, então, como temas recorrentes e inter-relacionados a partir do começo do Romantismo em 1800. Emerson é, deste modo, retratado como pioneiro, não só no ambito da nova filosofia designada Trancendentalista, mas também como poeta da democracia americana que assegura a perfectibilidade moral da sua sociedade. Camacho 8 Introduction It is the purpose of this study to examine Ralph Waldo Emerson’s oeuvre in a context of spiritual quest and self-fulfillment. We will focus on the author’s longing for a spiritual journey as a personal process built upon the ground of ordinary reality where God’s discourse may be unveiled, in a wider context of Romantic discourse(s). Since our project deals with Emerson’s oeuvre as a whole we will ponder on his essays, letters, journals, and poems in order to confirm his self- fulfillment as an attempt to dislodge the relation of the soul to nature as well as the relation of the self to culture as ambiguous entities within nineteenth- century American literature. Hopefully we will understand whether Emerson actually builds a new intellectual discourse, or a mere pastiche of former ones; whether his project provides an original American approach, or a mere outdated Romantic view. In order to meet these intellectual challenges, some questions must be raised: Is Romanticism the source of an irrational realm and of powerful emotions that dictate Emerson’s self conduct? How can we determine whether or not Emerson was a Romantic? If he were, how should we distinguish him from other authors? And how are his works associated with the spirit of American Romantic literature? If he were not, how should we define him? How can we relate him to American Individualism? Is he at the center or is he a Camacho 9 step, a moment of an ongoing process? What is the relationship between his spiritual quest and biographical experience? These questions obviously enhance others, namely: What are the main American intellectual vectors in early and mid-nineteenth century? How is Romanticism linked with American experience? How can we define Romanticism in its relationship between the inner and outer world? What are the philological roots of this concept? Where does it come from? What distinguishes American from European Romanticism? What is the relationship between Romanticism and Transcendentalism? What are the risks in defining Romanticism within