Civil Disobedience Excerpt
Link to Text: http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil1.html
*Note: This overview focuses primarily on paragraphs 1-3 of the Text.
*Note: This overview focuses primarily on paragraphs 1-3 of the Text.
SummaryIn “Civil Disobedience”, Henry David Thoreau outlines his numerous complaints and criticisms of government. Thoreau starts off his essay be explaining his belief “‘ That government is best which governs least’”(qtd. in Thoreau). He also expresses his belief that mankind, when it is ready, will form a government that doesn’t govern at all. To him, government is a convenient and quick means to an end, but it is easily corrupted and misused. It it too easily used to the advantage of the few and to the disadvantage of the many. He then questions the true power of government; specifically, if it can be bent to the will of a single man. In his second paragraph, he not only criticizes government, which he calls out as being nothing more than a tradition whose only goal is to self-perpetuate, but also criticizes the people. The citizens’ preconception about government is the very thing that allows such a flawed system to exist. Thoreau feels that government has only gotten in the way, limiting the driving force behind American innovation: the people. In Thoreau’s eyes, the American government is almost a criminal institution. He feels that it should be judged solely on the effects of the actions it takes and not the intentions behind these actions. In order to counter those who would accuse him of being an anarchist, Thoreau starts his third paragraph and finishes the excerpt by explaining that he isn’t anti-government, but he wants a fair, hard-working, respectable government.
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In “Civil Disobedience”, Henry David Thoreau uses many symbols, metaphors, and other literary devices in order to further emphasize his points about government. Throughout his essay, Thoreau refers to government as a machine or a tool. I believe he does this to further impress upon the reader his cold, disconnected feelings towards government. Thoreau also calls government a wooden gun. By referring to it as a gun, he recognizes that government has power and authority. Calling it a wooden gun further implies that even though government might have power, it has no real usefulness. Later in the piece, Thoreau shows us his literary genius by saying trade and commerce are “made of India rubber”. This statement could be taken literally, since India rubber may have been an import or export of the U.S. in the early-mid 1800s, but it could also be taken metaphorically. He uses this description, as well as people’s knowledge of the general flexibility and resilient qualities of rubber, to explain why trade and commerce can circumvent the obstacles legislators put in it’s way. As with most good texts, “Civil Disobedience” is relatable to the political climate of its date of origin and reflects the author’s experiences. This essay references and provides commentary on the Mexican-American War as well as slavery, two of the largest points of political contention of the time period. “Civil Disobedience” reflects Thoreau’s experiences in jail. I would imagine that the bold, harsh nature of this essay relates to feelings of resentment that Thoreau must have been harboring since his arrest.
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Study Questions1)How would you describe Thoreau’s opinion of American Government in the early-mid 1800s? Explain.
2)What are some of the qualities of Transcendentalism depicted in Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”? 3)What event led Thoreau to write “Civil Disobedience”? A. The failing health of his beloved brother John. B. Imprisonment for criticizing the government and its officers. C. His two year stay on Walden Pond. D. Imprisonment for refusing to pay taxes. 4) Who introduced Thoreau to Transcendentalism? Hint: This person also gave Thoreau many of the resources needed to become one of the leaders of transcendentalism. A. Ralph Waldo Emerson B. Margaret Fuller C. Walt Whitman D. Nathaniel Hawthorne 5) Would Henry David Thoreau likely be classified as an anarchist? A. Yes. B. No. Answer Key:
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External Resources, Photo Credits and CitationCitation:
Thoreau, Henry D. "Civil Disobedience." Prentice Hall Literature: The American Eperience. Ed. Grant Wiggins. Common Core ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. 388- 89. Print. External Resources: http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/civildisobedience/ http://www.biography.com/people/henry-david-thoreau-9506784 http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/henry-david-thoreau https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau Photo Credits: Website Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River_School Thoreau Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau Mexican-American War Painting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War |