Shanice Williams
English
Emily Dickinson
Imagine living a life of simplicity, born in the quiet town of Amherst, Massachusetts and in the early nineteenth century. In the 1830’s we were consumed with living for our husbands and children, yet Emily Dickinson made her stamp on American culture through her writing. Although her family was quite affluent in the community she was kept somewhat secluded and sheltered from it.
Emily Dickinson was born December 10th 1830. She was born into a family of high authority and her home as a child was known as “The Mansion” where distinguished visitors met, although she never really met them. Dickinson was a talented writer since her young years but her father, who was very strict, wouldn’t allow her to read one of her favorite authors, Walt Whitman, because he was considered “inappropriate.” She would smuggle books into her home so that she would not be reprimanded by her father and still have the chance to read them without her father knowing. Even though in many ways Dickinson was said to be non compliant with male authority figures, she is said to have respected and loved her father. She was just so independent and stubborn that on certain issues she would not budge.
Emily Dickinson not only questioned her father and in many ways was disobedient to him but as well as to her religion. Dickinson’s religion was Calvinist which stated that all men were inherently sinners and all doomed to Hell. She did not believe this and neither did her father after a while.
Dickinson was educating at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley but after she became sick with a persistent cough her father removed her from school and bring her home. However she was still able to broaden her vocabulary and become somewhat cultured.
After being taken out of school, Dickinson spent most of her time writing and developing her talents as an artist and reading up on other authors. Not only was she sick with a dangerous cough but...