REVEALING SYMBOLIC STRUCTURES: A COMPREHENSIVE STRUCTURALIST EXAMINATION OF EMERSON'S 'THE AMERICAN SCHOLAR'

Abstract

The purpose of the present research is to study the polysemantic levels of the text of the most famous essay of Ralph Waldo Emerson “The American Scholar” in the aspect of structuralism. The researcher explores the influence of linguistic and symbolic patterns on meaning generation and interpretation within the text, relying on the model of communication by Roman Jakobson as an additional framework. Moreover, the researcher illuminates the key ways in which language affects our perception of our own self, society and the transcendental principles propagated by Emerson. The research evaluation illustrates the dynamics of language functions in operation and how Emerson makes use of the language to communicate not only information but also both individual and community identity. That is, the metalingual function uncovers the intricate web of relations and signs that are interwoven in the text, presenting the reader with a possibility of the deep meaning. Bounded philosophical and linear manner capacities of linguistic patterns and relevance of Emerson’s works are shown by this structuralist analysis.