A Performative Section in Experience

I'm not sure if I my understanding of the text as performative is quite what Dr. Case is looking for so I may be way off on this interpretation. One small section that I found particularly interesting was about five pages in. Emerson says, "When, at night, I look at the moon and stars, I seem stationary, and they to hurry. Our love of the real draws us to permanence, but health of body consists in circulation, and sanity of mind in variety or facility of association. We need change of objects. Dedication to one thought is quickly odious." I found this first sentence to function as imagery to draw the reader in. While reading this I instantly imagine myself standing, rooted to the spot, and surrounded by thousands of stars. Once Emerson has this pictured in our minds he makes his argument, saying it is our human nature to want to focus on one object or theory, but it is necessary to continue to look at various things and ideas. Emerson goes on to explain that each time he found a great author or theorist he found himself only wanting to follow their logic and never read other writers again, but eventually he would move on to another. His telling us not to take stock in only one writer is performative in a way as well, because he is hinting to us that while what he writes is important, it is not the only philosophy we should read and we should not take it to be absolute truth. He is shaping the way we feel about his work, while seemingly focusing on other works and writers. He's a tricky one, that Emerson.