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Emersonian Essay
Imagine if no one followed the rules. Everyone would not care and people would speak up to what they truly believe in. This world would be completely different. We wouldn’t have to walk around with a fake mask just to fit in. Although that would be great, I think it would be awhile until that happens. With not all of us being like that, there are a few people that are; and one of those people is Frida Kahlo. They stick up for what they believe in and they stay true to their identity. These people can be compared to Emerson’s definition of a non conformist. Frida Kahlo fits the Emersonian definition of a non-conformist because she was always true to herself and never let other people’s opinions about her change the way she was, and she also influenced many women to be true to themselves.
Emerson’s essay has a very clear main idea which is the very first quote that he has: “Ne te quaesiveris extra” (Emerson 1). This is a Latin phrase that means do not look outside of yourself, which is what Emerson is telling us throughout the beginning of his essay. He says that we should all think individually and we need to think about how important it is to think for ourselves instead of accepting what other people say and not sticking up for what we believe in. One of Emerson’s quotes, ‘To believe that what is true in your private heart is true for all men — that is genius'(Emerson 1), he talks about how when we are true to ourselves we can be creative and have a very strong independence versus when all we do is rely on other people to think for us we will lack that creativity and ability to have our own thoughts and be independent. Another important lesson that Emerson is trying to get us to understand is that we should not have to conform to society. In Emerson’s words, ‘What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think . . . the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude'(Emerson 5). Day to day we are pressured to conform to this so-called perfect society which is far from perfect. People can’t be themselves in this society because of the lack of understanding of others. If you voice your opinion and it is against what society thinks you are immediately shunned, but if you do conform to the society then you can’t be your own person and you have to walk around with a mask on just to fit in. Emerson is saying that we should not care what other people say or think about us. We should stay true to ourselves and not be afraid to speak up when we disagree with what someone has to say. Emerson states that he is “ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.”(Emerson 4). Emerson is trying to get us to understand that we should not look at badges or positions of people to assert who is better and who is capable of telling you what to do. Just because someone has a lab coat on or they have a badge for their job doesn’t mean you can become vulnerable and stand down to what you believe. People are people and you should be able to have our own thoughts no matter what.
Frida Kahlo was born July 7, 1907. She was raised in La Casa Azul where she later returned to live and work until she died on July 13, 1954, due to a pulmonary embolism(Tuchman). During her short life, Frida had many life changing events occur. Tuchman states that at a very young age of 6 she contracted polio which permanently damaged her leg. At age 19 she suffered an almost fatal bus accident where she received multiple fractures throughout her body and a metal rod impaled through her womb which caused her to be infertile. This bus accident was the main reason why Frida left her schooling for a medical career to an art career. At age 22 she married 42-year-old Diego Rivera; They had a happy marriage until they both had affairs which caused terrible times for Frida because he was the love of her life. She was considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists with 143 paintings, 55 being self-portraits(Tuchman). Just like any other artist Frida Kahlo wasn’t known much for her art, it wasn’t until she died that people really knew her story and started to appreciate her art, but for being married to Diego. Aside from her art, Frida was known for her unique way of living. She did not conform to the image that society had for women. She had a unibrow, she was bisexul and she had a very unique and colorful way of dressing. Frida became well known for her art years after she died which caused some changes especially for all the women. She influenced many women to be themselves and to stick to what they believe in and to not let anyone hold them back in what they want to do.
Frida Kahlo impacted many women after her death. She was very confident and she stayed true to herself that’s why she fits Emerson’s definition of a non conformist so well. Frida was never afraid to be herself and show how crazy and non perfect her life was. Frida Kahlo once said, “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality”(Frida Quotes). Her paintings showed how much she suffered in her short life and she embraced her art and never painted beautiful things because her life was the opposite of that and she wanted people to see what some people can go through but still remain sane. Kahlo was a very unique person and she stood up to what she believed no matter what other people said. She was bisexual, joined the communist party, had a mustache and a unibrow. She didn’t care that people said she was very unlady-like. She kept true to what she believed and she dressed and fixed herself up however she pleased. She did not conform to the way all women were expected to look. This can compare to Emerson’s quote on conformity stating, “I hope in these days we have heard the last of conformity and consistency…Instead of the gong for dinner, let us hear a whistle from the Spartan fife. Let us never bow and apologize more.”(Emerson 8). Frida Kahlo never conformed to society; in fact she did the complete opposite and it was all ok to her. She rocked a unibrow, was bisxual, and had a very unique way of dressing up, but that was what she believed and even though many people called her names and said she was unladylike she stayed true to her way of living.
Another way Frida fits the Emersonian definition is that she never based her thoughts on other people no matter how close they were to her. Her painting “Las Dos Fridas” was painted after her divorce with Diego Rivera (1 Frida Kahlo). Even though it devastated her she stayed strong and realized that she was the only person that will support her and help her move on. This is a very good example of Emerson’s very first line, “Ne te quaesiveris extra.”(Emerson). Although it affected her greatly she picked her head up, painted about it, and then moved on with her life. Frida was everything Emerson stated in his essay; she was brave, thought for herself and didn’t let other people’s opinions affect her.
Overall, it may be said that we should learn from these people on how to be independent and how to think for ourselves. Many people nowadays will succumb to authority and completely disregard all their beliefs because they see these people with important roles and they do not want to be different and stand up to them. An amazing example of this is the Milgram Experiment; more than 50% of people would administer a lethal shock to a complete stranger just because a person in a white lab coat is telling them to. It’s mind blowing to think that people will go to extremes when it comes to giving in to an authority figure, but it does happen. Although many people do this, there are also those outcasts that will do what they want and will not obey authority because of their strong beliefs. In addition, Kahlo was always a person that truly knew what she wanted and she was not going to let other people control her life. She was truly an Emersonian in her time. She always stuck up for herself, she dressed however she wanted and didn’t care that people called her unladylike, and lastly she painted very gruesome things but like she said it was her reality and she was not afraid to show it.
Works Cited
- Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882. Self-Reliance. White Plains, N.Y. :Peter Pauper Press, 1967.
- 1 FRIDA KAHLO. LAS DOS FRIDAS/THE TWO FRIDAS. 1939, Image: 1992. Artstor, library-artstor-org.fresno.idm.oclc.org/asset/ASCHALKWIJKIG_10313992050
- “Frida Kahlo Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/authors/frida-kahlo-quotes.
- Tuchman, Phyllis. “Frida Kahlo. (Cover Story).” Smithsonian, vol. 33, no. 8, Nov. 2002, p. 50. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=7675522.
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