Self-Reliance Group

Question:

princess121591
princess121591
Student
High School - 11th Grade

What is the "giant" and how could the traveler rid himself of it?

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Posted by princess121591 on Friday September 19, 2008 at 5:48 PM and tagged with giant, imitation, self-reliance, selfreliance, theme.

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  1. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    Emerson uses the "giant" as a metaphor for his "sad self" which has sought to find intellectual truth in travel. Emerson has no objection to traveling for the purpose of study, art or helping mankind. But he denounces the use of travel as a "fool's paradise" for those who want to travel in order to imitate foreign culture. He says, "Our houses are build with foreign taste," and the solution is to build our own culture because "the wise man stays at home". So to defeat the "giant" of the "sad self" who wants to imitate others, one must "never imitate" and "insist on yourself". In other words, be self-reliant. Follow the genius of your own mind.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/self-reliance

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Friday September 19, 2008 at 7:40 PM