From the Easy Chair, Volume 3

"From the Easy Chair, Volume 3" by George William Curtis is a collection of essays from the late 1800s, offering observations about American culture, famous writers, and commentary on society, showcasing Curtis's views on the events and moral questions of his time. Through his well-thought-out and interesting writing, Curtis checks out how people, society, and politics were all connected back then. The book starts with a section focusing on Nathaniel Hawthorne and Brook Farm, with Curtis looking at Hawthorne's romantic view of the perfect community he was once a part of. He talks about Hawthorne's connection to the Transcendentalist movement and his mixed feelings about doing physical work versus the imagined perfect life of living in such a community. Curtis points out the challenges and funny moments that came with the Brook Farm experiment, comparing the high hopes of the people who lived there with the difficult truths they had to face. This first essay prepares the reader for a thoughtful exploration of American life and the challenging nature of its social movements.