Transcendentalism is a new way of acquiring knowledge and wisdom arriving at such knowledge “not just through the senses, but through intuition and contemplation of the internal spirit” (http://www.online-literature.com/periods/transcendentalism.php). Similar to the Janie’s childhood tree in Their Eyes Were Watching God and the meticulous way she watched the tree and pondered its tiniest details, ultimately bringing her to her womanhood and sexual awakening. Lark and Termite show an inclination towards this form of enlightenment. Lark remarks “in the quiet, I can hear” reflecting these values of of arriving at knowledge through intuition and self-reflection jut like Termite. Termite doesn’t need to talk to know what is happening. In fact, by remaining in his own little world he is almost an all-knowing figure, portrayed in his narrative as wise beyond his age as he often gives away secrets and has an innate knowing of certain things such as his reveal of Lark & Solly’s relationship and his automatic connection with Stamble. The majority of the narrative doesn’t occur in dialogue form illustrating this focus on knowledge coming from self-reflection. It is later revealed in Leavitt’s account that this inward focus away from words is passed down from father to son instead of stemming from transcendentalism, although this idealogy can certainly still be argued. Stamble willed his son to “look inside... where you really are [and] stay still [and] listen” (Phillips 220).
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