Austin's Analysis of "The Solitude of Self"

Austin Walters
Honors Writing 150
Kerry Spencer
3-17-2012
Solitude of Self

When is it that a person has progressed to their full potential? And how is it each individual can gain their own internal greatness? In “The Solitude of Self” Elizabeth Cady Stanton provides us the answers to these questions by using powerful analogies, stories, and intuitive reasoning to effectively show us that the ability to look deep within and discover ones true potential of who they really are is of limitless value.

One example Stanton gives of needing to be capable of finding who you really are is in the scenario of a household fire. When everyone in the home awakens to flames enclosing around them and smoke billowing into their lungs is there one person who is at more of an inconvenience than another? The answer is no. Thus why should any individual be obligated to “point the way to safety” for anyone else? (166) The woman and the man both should be equally capable of having attained their own self sustenance and be capable of escape and as mentioned in the text a woman and man both can, thus showing they are on equal grounds. When Stanton contests Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens,” with, “…humanity has not yet risen to that point of self-sacrifice; and if ever so willing, how few the burdens are that one soul can bear for another!”she emphasizes the value of unlocking our full potential yet again. (167) No person can fully bear another’s burdens, only partially. Will you be the one curled up in the corner needing help or the one who is bursting into rooms saving those incapable of saving themselves? That is the difference between who has had their solitude of self and developed that complete inner potential and become their true selves.

One story given to extend her argument was that of the king’s daughter in Shakespeare’s play “Titus Andronicus.” Being in a far worse scenario than many could imagine, with her tongue and hands cut off, she had no one to count on but herself. With this ailment simple tasks to us such as; eating, talking, dressing, or even opening a door could seem impossible to say the least. In many of our minds she would have more than enough justification to ask for help or say it is far too much to ask, but she knew what the better road was to take. It may not be the easiest at times but in the end it is the better option because as Stanton stated, “nothing adds such dignity to character as the recognition of one’s self-sovereignty; the right to an equal place.” Although “young and friendless” this girl still begins to find her solitude of self because she too recognizes what is to be gained from it. In the end this girl builds a character within herself that in no way could have been formed if constantly depending on others. Without that time of realization of what needs to occur ahead of her she could never have reached such potential.

Another story Stanton shared was that of Prince Kropotkin and how he managed his extensive time in prison with no tools such as pen, paper, ink, or books.

To this he replied:

“I thought out many questions in which I had a deep interest. In the pursuit of an idea, I took no note of time. When tired of solving knotty problems, I recited all the beautiful passages in prose and verse I have ever learned. I became acquainted with myself, and my own resources. I had a world of my own, a vast empire, that no Russian jailor or Czar could invade.”(Stanton 166)

Hopefully it does not take as drastic of an experience as this to help someone find their true self, but through this Kropotkin explains that no matter what happens to an individual the solitude of self will always be there. And by doing this he further cements into our minds its immense value. We too can have “a vast empire,” just as Kropotkin and, just as mentioned, what makes it of limitless value is that it cannot be taken from us. In fact it is what makes us who we are and drives our inner abilities.

Along with these stories, Stanton shares another brief analogy that effectively portrays her meaning. It reads:
“In hours like these we realize the awful solitude of individual life, its pains, its penalties, its responsibilities; hours in which the youngest and most helpless are thrown on their own resources for guidance and consolidation. Seeing, then, that life must ever be a march and a battle, that each soldier must be equipped for his own protection, it is the height of cruelty to rob the individual of a single natural right.”(Stanton 165)

Compare our lives to a soldier at war. By having our true selves recognized we are protecting ourselves from possible dangers. This “protection” we give ourselves is so valuable that Stanton claims it to be “cruelty” to deprive someone of having it.

The instance of intuition that Stanton gives is when she states “Nature never repeats herself, and the possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another. No one has ever found two blades of ribbon grass alike, and no one will ever find two human beings alike.”(Stanton 164) By this one can instantly conclude that they too are that “one in a million” or that “unique blade of grass.” By telling the audience that everyone, after attaining their solitude of self, has something that no one else in the world can offer. If individuals such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, George Washington, or numerous others had not come to such a realization the way we live and the worlds we live in would be an entirely different place. This intuition makes us look within ourselves and wonder if we, in time, may to be that individual who changes innumerable lives forever. Something indeed of limitless value that once again starts with something so simple as to have our own solitude of self.

Stanton also states that because we are all so different our deepest feelings and the way we feel in their occurrence is not fully understood by anyone but ourselves as well. Because no one understands it like we do, by saying this she emphasizes just how important it is for us to be able to rely on ourselves. We cannot rely on others because others do not understand because as Stanton later states, “…our most bitter disappointments, our brightest hopes and ambitions, are known only to ourselves.”(Stanton 165) Thus, although being an individual is found through our solitude of self, it makes us become even more of an individual and needing to rely even more heavily on our own strength. It becomes more and more valuable as we become more and more of a unique individual.

By showing us all of the different instances in the past and also those that have potential yet to come, Stanton shows us the endless possibilities of solitudes value. Whether it be saving yourself, or others, from a fire, overcoming personal trials, or realizing that you are the one that can make the difference, Solitude of self is something only you can find for yourself. As mentioned, one soul cannot bear all the burdens of another and thus we need to be able to carry them for ourselves. This ability opens up the door for so many great opportunities and the list only continues to extend if one can apply it to themselves.

Works Cited

•Elizabeth Cady Stanton. “Solitude of Self.” Print. Rpt. In Readings for Intensive Writers. Comp. Susan Jorgensen. 5th Edition. Provo: BYU Academic. 2007. 163-169. Print