The Gothic Cathedral Symbol Analysis

The Gothic cathedral symbolizes the individual’s paradoxical tendency to view themselves as both a part of history and separate from it. Emerson believes that when an individual sees a sacred, elaborate structure like a church, they conceive of it as both “done by us, and not done by us.” It is a symbolic culmination of the complex technological, theological, and institutional developments that progressed throughout history to facilitate its construction. The Gothic cathedral also represents humanity’s connection to nature, as man designed its archway to resemble a canopy of trees in a pine grove and its stained-glass window to reflect the vivid colors of a winter sunset. Emerson observes that the church appears to be “blossoming in stone subdued by the insatiable demand of harmony in man,” representing the innate unity between nature’s unbridled beauty and man’s intrinsic desire for order and harmony.