Question

What is the central idea of the following excerpt from "self-reliance"? "Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton?"

1) True greatness is special and only a few can rise to it.
2) Education should be used to find answers like the great masters did at a point in their life.
3) Self-reflection, individuality, and non-conformity are the key to cultivate genius.
4) By studying the great minds of history, we can become better than them.

Answer 1

The central idea of the excerpt from 'Self-Reliance' is that self-reflection, individuality, and non-conformity are the key to cultivating genius.

Step-by-step explanation:

The central idea of the excerpt from Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson is that self-reflection, individuality, and non-conformity are the key to cultivating genius. Emerson questions the existence of a master who could have taught great individuals like Shakespeare, Franklin, Washington, Bacon, or Newton. This highlights the belief that true greatness comes from within and cannot be taught by others.

Emerson's essay is a critical piece of transcendentalist literature emphasizing self-reliance and the inherent potential within individuals to achieve greatness. This connects to transcendentalist themes of breaking free from societal norms and discovering one's path. Emerson's line of questioning in the excerpt also exemplifies the transcendentalist belief in the primacy of the individual over traditional authority and institutions.