Perspective

The author is a representative of the nineteenth century. In this respect, being a representative simply means that Emerson lived during that century and therefore participated fully in the energies of that era. Emerson is an American. Part of his work is to define the American Scholar conceptually as well as in fact. In this regard he was very important in his ability to create an abstracted character that was still based upon the realities of American life. Emerson was a well educated man and something of a gentleman by American standards. While this included a number of class issues, it is also true that there are elements of class divisions that are identical to those found in other nations but also distinctions which are unique to the nation in which they occur. In other words, the nineteenth century American gentleman is not in every way identical to...