Re: Essay by John Muir - Yosemite News and Discussion

I think that there was more going on here than just Muir being dissappointed in Emerson's response to the trees. Emerson was quite old when he came. Muir was the younger upstart. Muir had more of a scientific bent than Emerson, the transcendentalist. Note Muir's somewhat dismissive remark in this essay about Emerson's philosophy. Muir was always the scientist when out and about--remember that he was the first to arrive at the theory of glaciation in the Sierras. He had a different eye than Emerson.

I may be reading too much into this, but in this encounter I sense a definite Oedipal rivalry between Emerson and Muir playing out on Muir's part, at least. Muir keeps goading Emerson to spend the night outdoors with him under the trees. Emerson and his entourage demur; Emerson is old and frail. Muir could have kept company indoors with Emerson that evening--and who would have wanted to miss that opportunity!-- but instead went off by himself to spend the night alone outdoors, where he almost scathingly dismisses the famous nature lovers from back east. Here he is, under the trees and stars; there's Emerson, in a hotel room. So who's the man of nature now? Muir claims to be happier in his situation; but again, he's missing out conversing with Emerson for the evening.

It wouldn't surprise me if something unreported happened between these two, and Muir's pride was hurt. The Boston elite surrounding Emerson run into this seeming yahoo Muir, who enthusiastically wants to show them around...you can see how things might not work out.

But who knows? Fun to speculate though.

Source:

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,65448,65459

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