Time and space are two valuable aspects of life. Depending on the person and their feelings one can perceive time differently. “Sitting through Economics 101 on Friday afternoon while the professor drones on over various charts and graphs can feel like weeks, whereas spring break spent frolicking in the dun on Miami Beach seems over before you’ve finished your first margarita”(Space/Time). In the theory toolbox, it explains that to some people “...time is a luxury” and for others “...time is a burden.” Compared to space were as “... the spaces we occupy-geographic regions, nations, cities, hospitals, prisons, homes, our bodies, not to mention the mental spaces and maps we sometimes inhabit-provide framework for our experiences, as we learn who and what we are in society, our ‘proper place’”(Space/Time). In “The Great Lawsuit” by Margaret Fuller and “The American Scholar” by Ralph Waldo Emerson there are specific scenes where the reader sees space and time come into play.
In “The Great Lawsuit” by Margaret Fuller space and time play a very important role in the text. “The man furnishes the house, the women regulate it. Their relation is one of mutual esteem, mutual dependence”(Norton Anthology pg. 806). Right from the beginning, the author gives the reader and ideology of space. Men are supposed to be the ones who are out working supporting their families and women are supposed to be in the home. As we can see, certain spaces can be gendered. In this specific time period, women were known to be working in the home which is considered private space. Compared to men where working in the field is known as a public space. These specific spaces shape men and women during this time period. The whole purpose of this text to show the inequalities of men and women and how time can possibly change this policy of men and women being equal. Margaret Fuller also refers to women of these times as slaves because women “belong” to men, therefore can not have a life for themselves. The quote above is assigning spaces due to their genders, which then leads to the different ideologies of men and women.
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“If any individual lives too much in relations, so that he becomes a stranger to the resources of his own nature, he falls after a while into a distraction or imbecility, from which he can only be cured by a time of isolation, which gives the renovating foundations time to rise up”(Norton Anthology). This is quote plays a huge role in the text when it comes to the aspect of time. I feel the purpose of this text is to portray change for the future. Clearly Margaret Fuller wants to change for the future, because why else would she bring up such an issue if she does not want something to change. In this quote, it is saying that if people live too much in the same society with the same laws, nothing will get done in order to change the rules. Time becomes a part of what is driving various structures of the text. Obviously, women’s rights have come such a long way from where they were but that would not be possible if someone did not speak their mind like Margaret Fuller.
“The American Scholar” by Ralph Waldo Emerson shows significant scenes that play an important role in space and time. In this text, Emerson is delivering his speech to demonstrate the decrease of specific achievements, for example, literary goals. Ralph Waldo Emerson believes that one day the people will come together to achieve literary greatness. Emerson continues by saying that citizens stay with those who are similar to them and do not venture off from anything different. Whether it is a social class status or simply interests people will isolate themselves. According to Emerson, this allows the individual to grow further away from knowing their soul purpose in society. Emerson goes further and mentions that like citizens who have a deep connection, there is also a connection with nature that is misunderstood. Emerson says “nature the becomes to him the measure of his attainments. So much of nature as he is ignorant of, so much of his own mind does he not yet possess”(Norton Anthology pg.584). This quote is very interesting because of its relation to space in nature. Emerson is saying that if one understands nature and space around them, then it is more likely that one can understand their role in society. Emerson says that once one can understand their role in society their minds can start to create literature, which shapes human society. Not only does this relate to space but I feel that it relates to time also. This speech was delivered in 1837, which was a long time ago. So having Emerson speak this kind of knowledge back then allows the idea to develop over time. This also allows this idea of finding one’s self in society has grown into what it is today.
“Perhaps the time is already come when it ought to be and will be something else; when the sluggard intellect of this continent will from under its lids and fill the postponed expectation of the world with something better than and exertions of mechanical skill”(Norton Anthology pg. 582). This quote is talking about time and how over time Americans have only focused on traditional European literature. In Emerson’s speech, he wants Americans to put all of that work aside and focus on establishing literature for themselves. This would lead to earning not only fellow Americans respect but respect from the world as well. Finally, America can make a name for itself regarding literature which leads to significant pride in one’s country.
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