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Quinn Holmes

AP Language Pd. 6

10/18/15

Emerson Argument Essay

Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, what lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in

comparison to what lies inside of you. What Emerson is saying is that there are two distinct life

modes. One is the what and the other is the who - the who grounds people in the present,

separate from what has and will happen as external experiences. This is validated in

contemporary society by pop culture and politics.

In pop culture, specifically movies, the difference between what and who is a common

narrative theme. Filmmakers inspire audiences with stories of opportunity. Everyone has to deal

with challenges and adversary but those who succeed are the people who know the difference

between who they are and what has happened to them. They dont let those negative

experiences define their character. This is shown in the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness,

where the main character, Will Smith, is poverty-stricken and eventually becomes homeless. His

wife gives up on him and moves to New York, leaving their son with him. After a series of events

Smith lands a job as an intern at a brokerage firm. Through strength of personality and an

understanding that his past isnt going to hold him back, Smith gets the job under circumstances

that seem impossible. He goes on to become a millionaire. Lesson of the true story? The main
character sees himself for who he truly is and what he is capable of doing. The managers at the

firm could have picked any of the wealthy, well-educated men, but instead chose Smith,

because they sensed how much effort, dedication, and passion he put into life. This is just one

of the many movies that incorporates Emersons philosophy.

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As in film, current politics exemplify the what against who in Emersons quote. In

defending themselves, politicians minimize the mistakes they have made in the past and re-

focus their attention to who they are now. This was demonstrated in the 2015 Democratic

Presidential primary debate, specifically between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. A huge

scandal associated with Hillary Clinton was that she used her own personal email account to

send official, classified governmental material when she was the Secretary of State. During the

debate in October, many candidates jabbed at Hillary for her past scandal. The only person in

the debate who did not was Bernie Sanders. He argued that it was time to move on, and to shift

their attention on the relevant problems happening in present time. This helped Clinton because

it showed that her prior actions didnt define her. Not only did it help Clinton get re-rooted in the

present, but it helped Sanders because it showed that he clearly understood character versus

experience. Despite a checkered political career, what counts to voters is an internally driven

who.

What matters most is our now character; the only state we live in. As long as people

work on themselves and life around them, then they wont have to worry about their past or their

future. The what has happened or what will happen doesnt define oneself.