Thoreau On Civil Disobedience

Thoreau On Civil Disobedience
Konstantin Keller Anne Portman Philosophy 2010 4 December 2015 Thoreau on Civil Disobedience
In Civil Disobedience, Henry Thoreau asserts that one should prioritize one's conscience over the
dictates of law. Thoreau begins his essay by arguing that government is rarely useful and that its
power comes merely from the fact that the government is the strongest group, rather than because
they hold the most correct viewpoint. He believes that people are obligated to do what they think is
right and to refuse to follow the law as dictated by the majority. If a government is being unjust,
people should distance themselves from that government and refuse to follow its laws. However, he
doesn't believe that people are obligated to commit their lives to eliminating such evils from the
world, but rather they should not participate in said evils. Because voting and governmental reform
is often ineffective, one should deal with an unjust government by ideologically dissociating one's
self from the government and refusing to participate in its institutions. Thoreau begins by stating
that he agrees with the saying, "that government is best which governs least." He says that, one day,
people will be able to have a government which does not govern at all. In its current state, Thoreau
argues that government rarely proves itself useful, and that it is often abused to the point that it no
longer represents the wishes of the people. According to Thoreau, the American government is a
necessity
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Thoreau Transcendentalism
In the early 19th century transcendentalism became a philosophical movement that arose the ideas
of understanding life in the simplest of terms. From Thoreau to Emerson, they expressed the ideas of
nonconforming from society in order to live in simplicity. Although transcendentalist ideas tend to
come and go, society alters the appeal as the influence of transcendentalism occurs in many forms
today.
Living life in simplicity is a trend set by Thoreau as he goes to the woods to be free from society's
expectations. He desires for everyone to stop living their life so complicated as they're being
consumed by the want of materialistic things "Most of the luxuries... positive hindrances to the
elevation of mankind" (Thoreau Walden "Economy"). As society ... Show more content on
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"We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the tree, the animal" (Emerson The Over–
Soul) If we're not open to looking at the truth, then we're only going to be seeing it piece by piece.
We'll never see the full picture unless we're open to everything even if we disagree with some
things. Having this mentality allows for us to see things from different perspectives. Many are so
used to the idea of following the expectations that are set up by society yet one never takes the time
to do what they want as one is not open to that idea of breaking away. Once one breaks away and
forgets about the materialistic things, that's when one has figured that they have set themselves free
form society. Although change is not something one would look forward too, however, it's
something that society as a whole need to experience once in their life as it's part of what makes one
who they are. Without seeing these changes one may never get used to the idea of how advanced
everything has become over the years. Although it seems like many aren't open minded, slowly but
surely that thought would eventually change and most would be more open–minded. One of the
reasons why society should be open–minded is through the use of living life in simplicity. If one
doesn't live life in simplicity then are they actually living life to the

Comparing Emerson And Thoreau
Never having a reason for reading nineteenth century writing in depth previously, I find myself
stricken by Ralph Waldo Emerson's poetic nature. I specifically find myself drawn to Nature. Since
his writing is not as common amongst other nineteenth century writers or philosophers, other than
Henry David Thoreau. Both of these philosophers were born in the early nineteenth century in
Massachusetts. Emerson was born in Boston and Thoreau in Concord. Both attended college at
Harvard. They respectively dedicated both of their careers to pursue Transcendentalism philosophy.
They have parallel beliefs about nature and the simplicity of material goods and spirituality. Thoreau
was an easier read for sure, however, my love of Emerson's poetic and brash writing came swiftly.
You either love him or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
At the time of his writing, The American Scholar," women were not allowed to achieve a higher
education and scholarships were only awarded to men. This speech was originally a pamphlet but
was converted into an essay later that year, publishing it in his book titled, Essays. As he discusses
the American Scholar, he uses the term as a whole, like an entire entity, not a multifaceted group.
Emerson instructs this entity on how the scholar should be educated, as nature should be their guide.
He uses experts from Nature to touch on many topics for the scholar giving these two particular
writings a general contrary notion. As depicted prior, Emerson derived most of his later writing and
philosophy from his belief in nature. Men should be accountable for themselves and let nature be
thy guide. Hence, you ask, why is Emerson so confusing? I do not believe that he is as confusing as
one would think. I believe that his philosophy is quite to the point, erring on the side of

Thoreau And Civil Disobedience
3. How does Thoreau justify the moral need for civil disobedience? What principles does her rely on
in his justification?
Thoreau justifies the moral need for civil disobedience when the acts and actions of a government
oppose the person's conscience. More specifically, he uses the example of the Mexican–American
Revolution to describe this idea. He claims that people go to war even though they may be against
the morals involved in the war, including slavery, and how even people who oppose slavery are
fighting for its establishment in Texas. He also justifies the need for civil disobedience by saying
that for change to take place, people have to act upon it, not only cast votes or support it weakly. He
argues that "Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it", and that in even minorities can
influence change by stating that a minority: "is irresistible when it clogs by its whole weight".
7. Would you describe Thoreau as optimistic or pessimistic about people's ability to improve the
world? Explain. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is because he believes that even minorities can influence improvements when he says that even
a minority: "is irresistible when it clogs by its whole weight", but also believes that people: "hesitate
and [they] regret, and sometimes [they] petition". In addition, Thoreau also argues that the votes and
petitions people merely are "voting for the right" and "doing nothing for it", and further argues this
by stating that the masses of men have little virtue and that: "When the majority shall at length vote
for the abolition of slavery, it will be because they are indifferent to slavery, or because there is but
little slavery left to be abolished by their vote." Moreover, he discusses about how there are many
people that oppose slavery and the Mexican–American War but do not do anything about

Thoreau Rhetorical Analysis
In Thoreau's speech From Resistance to Civil Government, the most famous sentence might be: "If
one HONEST man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw
from this co–partnership, and be locked up in the country jail, therefor, it would be the abolition of
slavery in America." Well, if I were to standing by him at that moment, there is one question I want
to ask him: "you, as the one HONEST man, has visited the jail already, then are you still giving this
speech? Why hasn't slavery be abolished by now?" Therefore, we can see that although Thoreau
advocates for the power of individual changes, he knows it is going to take collective effort for any
significant changes to happen. Everyone knows, including him, that one person's withdraw of
support from the government can never result in abolition; it will take a thousand people. However,
Thoreau recognizes that because of this way of thinking, people have been seeing themselves as a
dispensable agent. They will never take action if they keep waiting for more people to get on board
in the revolution. Thus, to break this death cycle, Thoreau tries to shift people's attention away from
believing that majority effort is needed, and instead makes people believe that one single person is
all it takes to change everything, even though it was in fact not the case. The first step Thoreau takes
to foster people's beliefs of their own power, is to compare government as an "machine" that has
"friction". By equating the government as just a machine, Thoreau invites his audience to see
government as an artificial invention whose entire existence is to function and serve people's need.
Then, Thoreau asserts that when the machine is a little "friction", people can ignore it, because it is
still in their best interest to keep it running; but "when the friction comes to have its machine", we
need to repair this machine. Obviously, he think it was the time to take action immediately against
slavery and the Mexican war. In order to encourage people to stop paying taxes immediately, he has
to eliminate people's fear toward acting against the authority. So Thoreau uses this metaphor as a
illusion to debunk the fearsome image of government

Thoreau Close Reading
Close Reading Assignment The wilderness is a vast area, and only a certain type of person urges to
be one with nature. The passage starts as a narrative. It's explaining the vastness of the wilderness.
Thoreau says that it's very solitary on his land. He says "I can easily walk ten, fifteen, twenty, any
number of miles, commencing at my own door, without going by any house" (Thoreau 7). The
wilderness is a wide open region. The uses example the above quote to describe his surroundings.
Avoiding the daily struggles of city life is key to Thoreau's lifestyle. He prefers to be alone and one
with nature. "Man and his affairs, church and state and school, trade and commerce, and
manufactures and agriculture even politics, the most alarming of them all–I am pleased to see how
little space they occupy in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They bring the reader through a scene with vivid imagery. "Without crossing a road except where
the fox and the mink do: first along by the river, and then the brook, and then the meadow and the
wood side. There are square miles in my vicinity which have no inhabitant. From many a hill I can
see civilization and the abodes of man afar" (Thoreau 7). The passage articulates to the readers his
love for the wilderness. The author describes the beauty that he sees every day from his perspective.
He informs he readers of habit of walking in the wilderness. He describes to the readers his view as
he is on one of his walks, which includes seeing foxes and minks. He describes the different water
sources, there are plenty in Thoreau's region. Thoreau goes on walks, he climbs to hills, and he can
view the villages from the top of the mountains. He likes the same between them. However, I think
it's comforting to know that they are still within sight, even as a reminder as a past season in his life
and the events that transpired. Even if it's just a remainder that he is still happy of his choice to live
in the

Civil Disobedience, By Thoreau
Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey civil laws in an effort to induce change in governmental
policy or legislation. Thoreau 's infamous ideas on "Civil Disobedience," written in 1849, have been
monumental in the fight for change. It has helped influence change anywhere from the 1940s fight
against Danish resistance, to the 1950s and McCarthyism. Thoreau 's words have helped lead the
way to freedom. It has made the people of the world think about how they are being governed and
how they are being treated. Thoreau 's message of freedom in "Civil Disobedience", transcend his
own time to be so influential to those throughout history for three main reasons which are that he is
read around the world, it had to do with helping yourself, and he connected it to real life.
The first reason why Thoreau 's message of freedom in "Civil Disobedience", transcend his own
time to be so influential to those throughout history is that he was being read all over the world.
Even though he was not the most popular writer in the United States, he was very well like
everywhere else. His writings have been reprinted countless times, both in English and in translation
into many foreign languages. His ideas were read and the people really took what he was saying to
heart. They listened to the messages that he was trying to convey and started to make changes.
Henry thoreau states on page 388, "Government is at its best but an expedient; but most
governments are usually, and all

Thoreau Civil Disobedience
"We should be men first, and subjects afterward." – (Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience). In
Thoreau's essay, Civil Disobedience, he is making an argument for why people should fight against
unjust laws. More specifically, laws that individuals feel are unjust against their own morals and
independence. Thoreau also alludes to the idea that if a person does not think for themselves, then
they should just allow the government to take over completely. I believe that Thoreau presents an
effective argument for civil disobedience through his words of the government, the American
people, and his own experiences. Starting with Thoreau's examination of the government. The
government only answers to the majority. The majority is most often the group of people that is the
richest. Sometimes this group also includes those that are powerful, as in has the most sway over the
people. Thoreau explains that a government founded, or ran, on this principle is not based on justice
and is doomed to fail. The government use the people as tools. The government helps makes laws
and put them in effect. There are those that respect the law a little too much. This can cause those
people to become unjust. Such as men who become soldiers in a war. Normal people are turned into
mindless machines meant to kill for nothing other than the government's satisfaction. The
government does not care about the people that they put into war. Thoreau uses some metaphors to
present the government. The government likens soldiers to horses. This means that the government
treats soldiers as nothing more than tools for them to use and discard at the government's will.
Thoreau also calls the government 'a wooden gun'. This means that if you use it for what it is meant
to do, then it will surely fail. Next, the is Thoreau's view on the attitudes of the American people.
People are content to just sit by and watch what is happening. Many people think of fighting laws as
voting for a repel of the law. This tactic is described by Thoreau as 'feeble'. According to Thoreau,
the people lack self–reliance and depend on their political parties to tell them what to vote for. This
is in favor of the government, who does not like the few people that fight unjust

Emerson and Thoreau
An influential literary movement in the nineteenth century, transcendentalism placed an emphasis on
the wonder of nature and its deep connection to the divine. As the two most prominent figures in the
transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau whole–heartedly
embraced these principles. In their essays "Self–Reliance" and "Civil Disobedience", Emerson and
Thoreau, respectively, argue for individuality and personal expression in different manners. In
"Self–Reliance", Emerson calls for individuals to speak their minds and resist societal conformity,
while in "Civil Disobedience" Thoreau urged Americans to publicly state their opinions in order to
improve their own government. Both Thoreau and Emerson ... Show more content on
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Emerson and Thoreau argue that only through self–reliance and civil disobedience can society and
government be saved from corruption and incompetence. A key difference between the philosophies
of Emerson and Thoreau as articulated in "Self–Reliance" and "Civil Disobedience" is their vision
of how individuals should shape society and government. Emerson believes that one should only
follow his own conscience and intellect not the opinions of the crowd. Emerson argues that it is not
only possible to successfully defy the common practices and beliefs of society, but that "to be great
is to be misunderstood" (Emerson 367). However, Thoreau believes that in a democracy the voice of
the people as whole should be followed. Thoreau desires a "better government", not anarchy devoid
of the law where every individual follows his own set of rules (Thoreau 381). Although assuredly in
favor of individuality, Thoreau recognizes that a democracy requires public consensus and popular
support. While Emerson and Thoreau certainly have difference of opinions, they recognize the need
for public discussion and discourse. Emerson declares "a foolish consistency" to be "the hobgoblin
of little minds" (Emerson 367). This is shown in their essays "Self–Reliance" and "Civil
Disobedience" in which they support individuality and personal expression. Despite their
contrasting views of society and government, the two most

Henry David Thoreau
I confess, I all too well know that living in the digital age, I have hindered my opportunities to
immerse myself in nature like Henry David Thoreau. There is rarely a day that passes by that I do
not use my cell phone or computer. Too often I forget that the outside world is more enigmatic and
dynamic than anything that can be found on the computer or in the concrete jungle I enter when I go
back home. I crave the mesmerizing and reflective space that nature has always provided since the
dawn of time. Nature allows me to feel alone, but also become a part of something at the very same
time. Thoreau beautifully claims, "We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are
earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
My grandparents have two small wooden cabins there that they bought back in the eighties. It was
meant to be a special family place where we could all meet. Although it was a four hour flight and
an eight hour drive away, my parents, brothers, and I went up every summer for a week up to a
month. The smells of my grandmother's homemade delicacies and the feeling of the gravel on the
car tires as we drove up the unpaved road left memories that take me back to that place. Picking
blackberries from some wild bushes near the cabin and sitting on my Grandfather's lap as we would
look out from the porch into the thick forest enveloping the land around us, are just some of the
memories I hold near and dear. One visit, a bear crept onto my grandparents' porch on a rather rainy
day. I watched from inside, staring into the eyes of the black beauty, drenched from ear to paw, just a
few feet and a wall away. As I read Thoreau, these fond memories of my time away from the rest of
the world come rushing back to me. His fascination with a world towards which, we have made
ourselves outsiders, intrigues me as well. His yearning to know a place that has no way of ever
being entirely known, is familiar to

Comparing Mccandless And Thoreau
Chris McCandless, Jon Krakauer, and Henry David Thoreau all relate to the thought of
Transcendentalism. In the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and excerpts from Walden by
Thoreau there is a strong relationship between Chris McCandless's and Thoreau's beliefs on
Transcendentalism. Both McCandless and Thoreau relate to self–wisdom, individualism, and nature.
Chris McCandless's decisions in his life in the story Into the Wild by Krakauer reflect on the
transcendental beliefs of Thoreau in Walden. The first belief of Transcendentalism that McCandless
follows is seeking self–wisdom. For example, McCandless urges one of his friends named Franz
that he meets to seek self–wisdom. McCandless says, "Don't settle down and sit in one place. Be
nomadic make each day a new horizon" (Krakauer 57). McCandless wants Franz to be nomadic and
not stay settled in one place. In Thoreau's writings Chris McCandless finds his knowledge of
discovering new things. Thoreau says, "A living dog is better than a dead lion . . . let everyone mind
his own business, and endeavor to be what he was made" (Walden). This shows a connection
between McCandless's beliefs in going out finding himself and through this seeking self–wisdom. ...
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For example, Chris tells a man named Gallien, who gives him a ride, what little supplies he is
carrying. "Alex admitted that the only food in his bag was a ten pound bag of rice. He had leather
boots, .22 caliber rifle, and a road map that was all he carried" (Krakauer 5). McCandless is
choosing to go on without the abundance of supplies he needs. This shows he is living his life the
way he wants to. Thoreau says, "An honest man has hardly needed to count more than his ten
fingers in extreme cases he may add his ten toes" (Walden). This quote shows that McCandless is
living a simple life because he is choosing

John Thoreau Summary
8 – 7 – 17 Visitors I was startled at the beginning of the chapter by Thoreau's confession that he
loves society, despite him previously saying that he did not like company, making me think even the
most introverted have a longing for connection. I enjoyed the part where Thoreau talks about risk. It
made sense to me when he states that as long as someone is alive, there is always the danger that he
will die. I have contemplated this before, that there is no way to truly be safe, so we must be
confident in the risks we take. For example, the majority of people in the US drive almost every day,
and driving is very dangerous, having killed a large amount of people. Thoreau highly regards
frankness in conversation, and he says about one of his visitors who is truthful that "our intercourse
might go forward to something better than the intercourse of sages." I personally agree with him. I'd
much rather prefer someone to be honest with me than to tell me lies that are meant to please me.
However, I do not think it is always the best idea to be frank, because there are many people who
get easily offended by the truth. I always feel bad hiding the truth from someone to make them feel
happy, but sometimes it is more practical to make that decision. Another thing Thoreau says which
caught my attention was his observation of the positive originality that one of his visitors displays.
Thoreau says that he was "thinking for himself and expressing his own opinion," a rare
phenomenon, and

ake Home Essay: Emerson and Thoreau Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau both used strong
sunrise imagery to effectively express their ideas of transcendentalism. Emerson wants it to be
known that one should not rely on tradition, rather live in the present moment. Thoreau expresses
the idea of awakening the self by spiritual means rather than relying on physical forces to
understand one's own existence in the surrounding nature. Emerson's main focus is individuality. He
wants human beings to feel connected to their inner and outer selves to experience spirit and nature.
When he asserts,"The sun shines to–day also" he wants to symbolize that it is unnatural to live by
traditions from the past. Also, by including this assertion in the first ... Show more content on
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In order to discover the meaning of life and his role in it, he feels he needs to live it isolated and in
it's most simple form. He wanted to experiment, and going to the woods alone would mean getting
rid of the materialistic distractions that disabled him to focus on the true essence of life. Thoreau
was looking for how life was, whether it was glorious or cruel and to do this he had to experience
life to it's raw core. Thoreau, also wanted to observe mother nature and attend the natural
environment because it characterized and surrounded life. He didn't want to waste time on frivolous
things because to the self those purposeless things were unprofitable. Thoreau didn't want to spend
money on the "normal" life that he was living in because he saw it as something unnecessary. He
also wanted to have the spiritual awakening and develop a sense of self reliance. Clearly, the ability
to depend on the self was ideal because it represents the recognition of who one is. By confronting
life without the distractions and seeing it's simplicity it is effortless to gain insight to the value it
stores. Thoreau also wanted to get in touch with his psyche and live things for

Author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson's work, "Self–Reliance" set the guideline for what it
meant to live a life dictated by transcendental ideals. His colleague Henry David Thoreau in his
book, "Where I Lived and What I Lived For", took Emerson's vision and put them to use in his own
life, recording his findings in his book. The two major thematic overtones that they share include
nature and simplicity, which Thoreau lived through during his time with Emerson on Walden Pond.
Thus, by extracting excerpts about both nature and simplicity, while relating it to Thoreau's life on
Walden Pond, it becomes apparent that Thoreau, by living on Walden Pond, vicariously lived
Emerson's philosophy of simplicity and nature. The first of which is shown through his actions on
Independence Day, and the latter through his interactions with the property he had purchased.
Simplicity, as a means of living, is an idea that Emerson goes over thoroughly in his essay "Self ...
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To him distractions served nothing more than to bog down the mind. A simple life, in essence, was
the key to becoming an enlightened individual. Emerson goes so far as to implore his readers to "let
our simplicity judge them, and our docility to our own law demonstrate the poverty of nature and
fortune beside our native riches" (Emerson). It is to be our own simplicity that governs our
judgments, letting an inner latent richness inside ourselves dictates how to live. Thoreau, during his
time on his property, captures the sentiment of Emerson's message in his book with an anecdote set
on Independence Day. When he first took abode in the woods Thoreau comments that, "my house
was not finished for winter, but was merely a defense against the rain, without plastering or
chimney, the walls being of

Thoreau and Emerson
Title: Thoreau and Emerson
In today's society each individual has the ability to thinks for themselves, but the inception of
different ideas and thoughts has led to a population that's dominated by the majority . We live in a
society where a media, television and internet are the sources of manipulating a person's mind. It
also creates their mindset to determine how one think about themselves or and different view point
on topic. In this particular essay I am going to be talking about two main people who had similar
argument about how to be individual and not let government take control over your lives. Ralph
Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were most influential writers of their time. They both had
encouraged and practice ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation
which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right. It is truly enough said that a
corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a
conscience.(127) And in "Self Reliance" by Emerson: "To believe your own thought, to believe that
what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, –– that is genius."(109) To develop into
an individual is to make every choice based upon your own personal belief, no matter what society
says, and to act upon your belief . Emerson thought that all great works were products of
individualism and self–reliance, claiming that: In every work of genius we recognize our own
rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no
more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with
good–humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side. Else, to–
morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the
time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another. (109)
Emerson considered individuality as doing whatever he wanted and ignoring what the people think,
which we can find in his words: "What I must do is all that concerns me, not

Theme Of Nature In Thoreau
discards the language of obedience and redemption used by the church. To Thoreau, Nature and God
are at once synonymous and interconnected: "Next to us the grandest laws are continually being
executed. Next to us is not the workman we have hired, with whom we love so well to talk, but the
workman whose work we are." (175) Thoreau believes in a creator god, a living god that makes of
"Nature" his home. Thoreau feels "Nature" is a divine space: a space where man is able to feel close
to his god, a space where man is able to appreciate his god's favors and "Nature" is the space where
man can embrace the god within himself. Influenced by Emerson, Coleridge and Wordsworth,
among others, Thoreau thinks that nature is the source of strength, spirituality ... Show more content
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One would approach at first warily through the shrub oaks, running over the snow–crust by fits and
starts like a leaf blown by the wind, now a few paces this way, with wonderful speed and waste of
energy, making inconceivable haste with his "trotters," as if it were for a wager, and now as many
paces that way, but never getting on more than half a rod at a time; and then suddenly pausing with a
ludicrous expression and a gratuitous somerset, as if all the eyes in the universe were eyed on him –
for all the motions of a squirrel, even in the most solitary recesses of the forest, imply spectators as
much as those of a dancing girl – wasting more time in delay and circumspection than would have
sufficed to walk the whole distance – I never saw one walk – and then suddenly, before you could
say Jack Robinson,he would be in the top of a young pitch pine, winding up his clock and chiding
all imaginary spectators, soliloquizing and talking to all the universe at the same time – for no
reason that I could ever detect, or he himself was aware of, I suspect" (357). Concurrently, Thoreau
projects an image of nature as a whole, as a distinct, living and essential presence rather than as an
accumulation of items to which man assigns significance. The interconnectedness of the various
components of nature is illustrated in this passage of Walden: "Standing at the smooth sandy beach
at

Henry Thoreau Is A Transcendentalist
Nature and Technology can they co–exist Technology and nature surprisingly can live in harmony.
Henry Thoreau was a transcendentalist who moved to a cabin in Massachusetts to write about
observations about life and nature in 1845. Thoreau commented about his time in the wood saying, "
I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front essential facts of life.'' Meaning he came to live
alone and truly think about what life's meaning is. Danny Heitman claimed that Mr.Thoreau's beliefs
could have in fact co–existed with today's technology. Technology could have infact help helped
Thoreau express his beliefs about life itself. Thoreau once said, " The man whose horse trots a mile
a minute does not carry the most important messages..." This quote

Comparing Sigourney And Thoreau, And Henry David Thoreau
Sigourney and Thoreau
The authors Lydia Huntley Sigourney, and Henry David Thoreau, both demonstrate similarities and
differences in their works. While comparing both essays, it is evident that both authors share similar
views on environmental issues, and at the same time demonstrate great emotional journeys in their
works. The extraordinary beauty of nature appears frequently in both pieces. Both authors focus
their personal experiences, however, within different subject matters. The way in which the authors
express their beliefs and feelings is demonstrated through personal life endeavors. It is apparent that
the authors are expressing their perception of the atrocities committed to the environment by
humans.
In Journals from Tuesday, December 30th by, Henry David Thoreau, he talks about hearing a saw
and then seeing two men cutting down a tree. Thoreau is describing the dramatic crash and fall of
the tree while expressing his thoughts and opinions on the tree being cut down. Thoreau calls the
men "mannikins" and explains how they are "fleeing from their crime."
In fallen Forests by Lydia Huntley Sigourney, she discusses how men are destroying forests and how
large sections of trees are being decimated by careless individuals. She expresses how the trees have
created and done so much for the ecosystem from which they live and at some point in time the
civilization will realize the depth of their destruction. She describes how this action not only effects
the animals

Rousseau, Thoreau, And Marx
Rousseau, Thoreau, and Marx discuss man's alienation from nature and his/her
natural conscience, which is sublated by material consciousnesses that are symbolic of:
luxury, liberty, and capital. The alienating effects in the transition from feudalism to the
modern state are grounded within: the luxury of "commerce and money" (Rousseau, "Science
and Arts," 16); onto a false sense of liberty in "commerce and agriculture" (Thoreau, "Civil
Disobedience," 228); then towards capital in "commerce" and "industry" (Marx,
"Manifesto," 210). Man, therein, reframes his/her image under the forces of production which
reconstitutes their personal worth. S/he is estranged from their intrinsic life–process by the
alienating practices of conditioning ideologies under hegemonic control. Wherein Rousseau,
Thoreau, and Marx criticised the ideologies of power (iconography, patriotism, capitalism)
and brought to the forefront the question of freedom and necessity. Whereby luxury had been
misread as liberty, and freedom was seen in the industry of capital. In juxtaposition Zinn,
Noble, and Saul discuss man's alienation from his fellow (wo)men and his/her natural
fraternity, which is separated by ideal consciousnesses influenced by semantics of:
ideology, policy, and technology. The self–alienating effects in the transition from
industrialisation to modernisation are established within: the ideologies of "political rhetoric"
(Zinn, "Scholarship," 507); the

Thoreau Spent In Jails
One of Emerson's nine maxims states, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind,"
or in other words, "Nothing is worthy of prayer and dedication but the honesty and righteousness of
your principle–driven mind." Such a statement implies quite an iconoclastic theme: rather than
devoting themselves to indoctrinated religions, people should trust only in their own personal beliefs
and principles. For Emerson to imply such a thing goes against the Puritans that came before him
and is one of the main themes of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's play The Night Thoreau
Spent In Jail. Towards the beginning of The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail, Henry David Thoreau
remarks on how his student Potter asked his spiritual leader about the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In fact, he provides no support for the government, especially in the form of taxes, since his taxes
would be spent on a war effort that he stands firmly against. When a man asks Henry why he
chooses to stay in jail rather than to pay his taxes, he responds, "What the government of this
country is doing turns my stomach! And if I keep my mouth shut, I'm a criminal. To my Conscience.
To my God. To Society... If I don't approve the way my dollar's being spent, you're not going to get
it!" (62–63). Instead of religiously following his government, Henry rebels because his principles do
not match its actions, just like the maxim's theme suggests doing. Additionally, the theme is a clear
response to the Puritans that came before transcendentalists: as opposed to giving holy prayer to and
wholly trusting in the God of Christianity, Emerson suggests that men should trust in the God of
their mind, the beliefs and principles of their own mind. His suggestion closely parallels the actions
of North Korean refugees. Despite being ruled and propagandized to lay faith in their nation and in
their ruler, Kim–Jong Un, the refugees trusted in themselves, listened to banned foreign broadcasts,
and escaped from North Korea. Henry, like those refugees, did not believe in the integrity of the
governing power: Henry believed in the integrity of his own

Thoreau Essay example
Henry David Thoreau was man of simplicity, and if he were to experience life in Cary, he would not
only be surprised, but disappointed in humanity itself. Thoreau believed in the necessities of life,
nothing more, and the people of Cary live lives exactly the opposite. Cary residents live lives of
material possessions, business, and over–complexity. These traits of society are precisely opposite of
Thoreau's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Indeed, we toil the best of our days, and "fritter away our lives by detail. ( )", in order to earn the
perishable items we acquire by destroying the ever resilient gift we have been given. We all live
"meanly, likes ants... ( )", and we forget to stop and look at our lives from a different perspective. In
fact, our minds are constipated with thoughts we entertain to feel important, and do the job, to once
again achieve greatness through our "things." Our lives are so complex for such unjust reasons, and
we all ponder the question that a wise man once asked, "why, should we live with such hurry and
waste of life? ( )"
Furthermore, our lives are lived so shallowly and are filled with the frail, irrelevant things, and not
the pulp of life. We think of time as the last peanut butter remaining in the jar we go scraping for,
whereas Thoreau views time as "the stream I go a–fishing in. ( )" Thoreau stresses simplicity, yet we
only feel important by living complexity. The people of Cary live lives almost equivalent to that of
bees. We work hard, but relax almost never. We have five televisions, but not five minutes to spare.
In the eyes of the people of Cary, complexity is modern.
Again, Thoreau would look upon Cary as a symbol of the society of disgrace, for we are constantly
conquered by our schedules, obsessed with our toys, and

Thoreau Walking Analysis
"Thoreau walking" "Thoreau walking" was written by Henry David Thoreau who has abundant of
love for nature and walking. In "Thoreau walking" Thoreau does not only talk about his love for
nature and walking he also expresses his opinion about problems that are going on around him and
in the society, that he did not approve of. In addition, Thoreau also gives advice to his readers about
what to do to fix these problems. I believe "Thoreau walking" to be such a great lecture that
instantly grab your attention and pull you in as you read it. The more you read you become more
and more interested. Everyone may have a different interpretation and understanding to Thoreau
lecture and that what makes it so great. I found myself reading the lecture couples of time to have
my own understanding of what Thoreau is saying and what he meant in each line. As I read
"Thoreau walking" there are many quotes that grabbed my attention, however, there are three that I
want to examine and discuss. According to the author" I, who cannot stay in my chamber for a
single day without acquiring some rust, and when sometimes I have stolen forth for a walk at the
eleventh hour". (Crosson and Gross, 2017) What Thoreau is trying to say is that his love for nature
is so strong that he cannot stay in his house for a day without being sick. Therefore, if he stays in the
house for too long he will get up and go for a walk after the eleventh hour because he would no
longer be about to bare being in the house any longer. I agree with Thoreau to a point that I too
cannot sit for hours just being in the house or in one spot for an extensive period. However,
sometimes I do just like to stay in the house and have a lazy day occasionally. In addition, I do not
believe I would feel like I'm torturing myself like the way Thoreau feels when he is in the house and
not walking. In the second quote, the author states that" I confess that I am astonished at the power
of endurance, to say nothing of the moral insensibility, of my neighbors who confine themselves to
shops and offices the whole day for weeks and months, aye, and years almost together". (Crosson
and Gross, 2017) Thoreau is saying that he is impressed with his power of endurance to stop

David Thoreau Paradox
Humans have been using the measurement of time to dictate their day since the early eras of ancient
civilizations with sundial then evolving into the mechanical clocks we use today. For thousands of
years with time measurement tools, humans have depended on a strict schedule to determine what to
do to use up the time they have. In today's modern world, adult humans use their time to contribute
to society by working nine to five jobs and young adults spending their childhood in a classroom. In
Henry David Thoreau's book, Walden; Life in the Woods, Thoreau discusses the concept of time. In
Thoreau's excerpt "Economy," he offers the paradox whether humans live off borrowed time or
stolen time from their employers. He explains in a rhetorical statement that by reading his own book
would be "robbing your creditors of an hour," implying that the human civilization has been putting
their work in front of their own self–interests in hope of success and money. Although Thoreau
wrote the paradox as a brief commentary for the money driven human civilization, this paradox acts
as a metaphor towards Thoreau's view on the use of time for humanity.
As a child, I've seen my parents focused the majority of their time and energy at their work to
provide for our family. In 2000, the U.S Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics had
recorded that working couples with children under 18 years of age worked an average of 66 hours a
week compared to couples without children, who worked an

Thoreau Individualism
Civil Disobedience is defined as the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as
a peaceful form of political protest. To several governments and even some citizens, civil
disobedience can be seen as a bad way of handling situations. To others, it is just a way of
expressing how they feel about decisions the government make and it makes them feel as though
they have a voice in how the decisions are mad. In the essay, "Civil Disobedience," by Henry David
Thoreau, there are several connections made to how the people should react to the government
"controlling" them and what should be done about it. "Civil Disobedience" also makes connections
to the article, Faced With a Fracking Giant, This Small Town Legalized Civil Disobedience. In both
of these forms of writing, they discuss the main idea of civil disobedience and the impacts it may
have on the government and the people as a whole.
In Henry David Thoreau's writing, he discusses the obstacles of civil disobedience that he had to
overcome within his own life experiences. Thoreau ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This article brings about a different approach than that of Thoreau's because it focuses less on
individualism and more on how the population as a whole would be affected. This article discusses
the legalization of civil disobedience in a small town due to the use of wastewater injections that
could possibly harm the community and its citizens. The community only has one choice if the court
system and government fails them, as stated in the article, "It's going to have to be bodies in the road
to stop those trucks if the courts fail us." As incorporated in the article, it expresses how not just the
individual citizen focus on himself or herself, but how all of their decisions make a difference in the
participation of civil

Thoreau And Gandhi Similarities
Both Mahatma Gandhi and Henry Thoreau are two legendary transcendentalist that lived throughout
in the same life time even though once Henry Thoreau died the famous Mahatma Gandhi was born
to impact the hindu society ,who also experience similarities and differences throughout their whole
life such as their moral stances on social issues and their individual act to make the world they live a
peaceful and justful society. For example, Gandhi was an unsuccessful lawyer and dropped out of
college and growing up he was a shy boy with a violent temper but he went england to study law
and got accepted into Both Gandhi and Thoreau took moral stances on protecting the rights of
people which were quite similar. However, the issues were quite different. Gandhi fought for his
people that were being discriminated in south africa he started to live ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In the other hand Gandhi promoted boycotts and he led a large group of people to march 200 mile
across western india to get salt and to show an act of nonviolent protest. Some people were arrested
including gandhi and he was put in jail but came out because he's health conditions. Most Important
these two transcendentalist made some huge sacrifices to make an impact on their society that are in
the same way alike, They both isolated themselves from the outside world for a little to figure out
what they wanted to accomplish in life sacrificing their lives and their people they were both
dedicated to change and give their people the freedom that everyone in this world have. Both of
their principals in life were to unite and teach everyone the rights and the freedoms we have and
how the world is better when there's no hatred among

Thoreau And King Comparison
The cultural texts from King and Thoreau about racial inequality were noticeably different in their
deliveries; however, by taking advantage of their shared ability to form eloquent phrases and
demonstrate clear vision, both authors were successful in conveying the benefits of governmental
change and societal progression. Thoreau lamented over the inaction of his fellow citizens and
expressed his sentiments with an unforgiving and assertive tone; King on the other hand, was more
conscious of his white–centric audience and understood that in order to maintain Thoreau's beliefs in
his letter, he would have to come across as more respectful and understanding of his readers. Rather
than sounding hostile, King simply addresses times when the government's orders have
disenfranchised African Americans, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Thoreau used Civil Disobedience to question the possibility of "organizing the rights of man," and
infused its paragraphs with his fears of a systematic government that "could not be resisted or
changed" (Thoreau). His fears were paralleled in King's statement that Birmingham city officials
"consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation," which underscored the government's
inability to reform itself and showed how African American lives would be affected if action was
not taken in a timely manner. Change, King continued, would only be sustained if southern
governments willed themselves to converse in "monologue rather than dialogue" (King). This
deliberate juxtaposition helped mold his argument that negotiation was not feasible due to the one–
sidedness of the conversation about race. His subsequent conclusion was that taking direct action
was simply a "moral responsibility" that African Americans should pursue

Henry Thoreau Essay
Born in 1817, in Concord, Henry David Thoreau became one of the greatest writers among the
American Renaissance. Thoreau based his whole philosophy on the fact that man needed to get rid
of material things in order to be an individual. An exquisitely educated man, Thoreau went to
Harvard, which placed heavy emphasis on the classics. Thoreau studied a curriculum that included
grammar and composition, mathematics, English, history, and various philosophies. He also spoke
fluently in Italian, French, German, and Spanish.
After his graduation in 1837, Thoreau became a teacher. He and his brother John, however, closed
the school in 1841, for Thoreau knew writing was his passion. He kept a journal beginning in 1837,
and most think he wrote ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude." Thoreau liked
solitude, a time when he wrote from his soul and was truly alone. Thoreau's love for nature was one
of the most powerful aspects evident in Walden.
Considered by some to be the father of the environmental movement, Thoreau referred back to
nature in everything he wrote from essays to political speeches. As a simple man, Thoreau did not
own many material things. For he believed that to own material objects were an obstacle, rather than
an advantage. He saw that most people measured self–worth in terms of what they owned, rather
than their spiritual and intellectual gifts.
Thoreau proposed to live as simply as possible and determine what he needed for basic human
survival. "My greatest skill is to want but little." He grew his own food, cleaned his own
cabin, and often arranged his affairs so he had to work as little as possible. Published on August 9,
1854, Walden sold two thousand copies. For one dollar, people read into the depths of Thoreau's life
at Walden Pond and all his views on everything from the anti–slavery movement to his
environmental ideas. Walden sold moderately well during Thoreau's lifetime, but his greatest
respects came posthumously.Through the reading of Walden, many people have discovered the
magic of Henry David Thoreau's pen. Just a man from Concord, Massachusetts, he lived an
extraordinary life as a simple man. That, however, was all

Henry David Thoreau
"Solitude" by Henry David Thoreau "Solitude," chapter five of Walden is an inspiring short work in
which Henry David Thoreau describes his comfort in the seclusion of the woods he calls home, and
relishes in the peace and quiet of solitude. His writing is eloquent and evocative, and his topic is
inspiring and thought–provoking. One excerpt from Walden perfectly describes his views:
I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is
soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so
companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men
than when we stay in our chambers. (Para. 12, Thoreau, Henry David. "Solitude." Walden.)
He is essentially saying that whenever he felt lonely, it was not from being alone, but rather from
being in a room full of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. We
meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we
are. We have had to agree on a certain set of rules, called etiquette and politeness, to make this
frequent meeting tolerable and that we need not come to open war. We meet at the post–office, and
at the sociable, and about the fireside every night; we live thick and are in each other's way, and
stumble over one another, and I think that we thus lose some respect for one another. Certainly less
frequency would suffice for all important and hearty communications. (Para. 13)
He seems to have grown tired of the monotonous, mundane societal practices of his time. His
solution to this dullness is less frequency of meetings, for he believed that routineness was
deleterious to relationships. Thoreau valued the influence solitude has on a person and saw the
importance of giving himself space, not in order to work against positive social relations, but rather
to improve their

Transcendentalism Of Thoreau And Walden
The 19th century was a time of social change and enlightenment that sent ripples of influence into
many aspects of the American culture, including art and literature. Prominent figures such as
Thoreau and Cole emerged. Thoreau was a philosopher and writer whose works such as Walden lead
the literary evolution of Transcendentalism. Similarly, Cole, a, was a founding figure in the fledgling
art movement called the Hudson River School. Both men were shaped by the same influence of a
rapidly transforming society, and from this environment they expressed similar beliefs in areas such
as anti–industrialization. This antagonism towards industrialization was balance by their reverence
towards nature; mankind was viewed as infinitesimal in comparison. The animosity for
industrialization combined with respect for nature also lead to Cole and Thoreau's support towards
the preservation of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the Housewarming chapter of Walden, Thoreau portrayed nature as an all–powerful force that
"could easily cut [our] threads any time with a sharper blast from the North." Thoreau is alluding to
the Three Fates of Greek mythology. The Three Fates were omnipotent figures who has complete
power over mankind: they weave and create the "threads" of men's lives, but also had complete
jurisdiction to cut, and end, the life threads. By comparing nature to the Three Fates, Thoreau
credited nature with power akin to that of a god. Cole expressed similar views in his painting The
Oxbow. In the painting, Cole depicted himself sitting atop the hill of wilderness. However, his figure
was painted as a mere speck in comparison to the awe–inspiring grandness of the nature around him.
This juxtaposition of scale comments upon man's place in the universe, that we are all subordinate to
the whims of nature. This is matched and enhanced by te storm clouds which serves as an reminder
of nature's high power at

Thoreau And Transcendentalism
For centuries, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson have long been considered the
leading benefactors of transcendentalism. Transcendentalism, a system based on the idea that, in
order to understand the nature of reality, one must first examine and analyze the reasoning process
that governs the nature of experience, is an ideology that the poet Walt Whitman, a quintessential
American voice, embodies the lifestyle of. The experience should be one free from social
conformity which Thoreau and Emerson are inexplicably governed by. Though both are major
steeples in the philosophy, Walt Whitman deserves as much credit for his impact on
Transcendentalism. With his commentary about nature, deviation from modern society, and reasons
to live ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Using free verse in his poetry was considered outlandishly informal in structured society but the
point resonants within contemporary culture as structured aberrance. This is but only one example of
his maverick–like annotations. In the poem, "Song of Myself," Whitman spends fifty–two lines
celebrating himself (Wiggins 428). This anomalous form of self love is important, as it coincides
heavily within the parameters of how self respect is described within Transcendentalism. The tier of
self purpose and living with dignity used to deviate from society. The catechism he uses to assesses
this mediocrity are simple inquiries posed to provoke a discussion about

During the nineteenth century, the new philosophical trend of transcendentalism occurred. Ralph
Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, two contemporary authors, expressed transcendentalist
ideas through their writing. Their perspectives of nature and society were both very similar. They
believe people need to simplify their lives, and spend time in nature. To them, nature is the key to
peace and tranquillity that people knowingly and unknowingly seek. Herman Melville, another
contemporary author of that time, has a very different view of nature. Through Moby Dick, he
expresses his ideas that nature is essentially evil. He thinks that it is dangerous, and in order to
protect yourself you need to go on the offense against it. Thoreau and Emerson urge people to live a
peaceful, simplistic life and they think that spending time in nature, which is essentially good, is the
key to doing so, while Melville thinks that nature is a destructive force that people should either
avoid or fight. Emerson is one of the first people to introduce the idea of nature being the key to
peace. He insists that the natural world is beautiful, and people should spend their time in it. In his
essay Nature, Emerson says "Nature never wears a mean appearance/Nature never becomes a toy to
a wise spirit"(Emerson 1). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By living in the wilderness, he finds true peace and harmony. Like Emerson, he thinks that nature is
beautiful, gentle, and everybody should spend time in it. Society corrupts you and distracts you from
the wonders that the natural world has to offer. Thoreau used nature to intertwine with his
spirituality, such as in Walden when he says "I got up early and bathed in the pond; that was a
religious exercise, and one of the best things which I did" (Thoreau 6). This was a way for him to
become closer to the universe through nature. He thought that by doing this each morning he was
given new strength for the

Thoreau And Transcendentalism
Henry David Thoreau's words that "disobedience is the true foundation of liberty" and that "the
obedient must be slaves" is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic
era. Thoreau served as an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary
movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two
central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the
Romantic era of literature. Thoreau brought these two themes together to write on how people ought
to live a simplistic life through embracing nature. His naturalistic writing intertwined cataloging and
observation with Transcendentalist views of nature. Through his life and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He had three siblings, a younger sister, Sophia, and two older siblings,John and Helen. He grew up
in Concord, Massachusetts and remained there for a great deal of his life. Thoreau received two
educations in Concord, one being his study of the local environment, which he gained an interest for
through his mother's interest in nature. This education gave rise to his passion in writing about the
nature of certain subjects. In preparation for his study at Harvard University, Thoreau gained his
second education at Concord Academy. He enrolled in Harvard in 1833 and did well there. Thoreau
dropped out of Harvard for several months due to financial and health reasons, but he eventually
returned and graduated in 1837 in the top half of his class. The year he He began a journal the same
year that he graduated and he would later look back to it for his lectures and published work
throughout his life. During this time, he also inverted his first and middle name and began to call
himself Henry David ("Henry David Thoreau"). Shortly after Thoreau's graduation, American went
into an economic depression and jobs were very scarce. While looking for a job, Thoreau found that
he was unsuited for three out of the four common professions open to Harvard students: medicine,
ministry, and the law. The last profession was teaching, which he felt he was suitable for. Thoreau
was later hired as a teacher for the Concord public school. After two weeks, he resigned due to "a
dispute

Thoreau Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau's writing Civil Disobedience was published in 1849; in this writing was his
point of view on an unjust government with unjust laws decided by the majority. It is believed that
Thoreau's night in the Concord jail prompted him to write Civil Disobedience, but it has not been
proved. However, it is known that Martin Luther King Jr.'s time in the Birmingham jail led him to
write Letter from a Birmingham Jail, while he was still there. MLK Jr. wrote his letter on April 16,
1963, which was well after Thoreau's writing in 1849. Generally, when one writes a piece it is
known to be influenced by another that came before it; with that said I think that there is evidence
that shows MLK Jr. read and was influenced by Thoreau's Civil Disobedience before writing Letter
from a Birmingham Jail.
Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and put in the Birmingham jail in 1963, which is where he
wrote his piece Letter from a Birmingham Jail. MLK Jr. was arrested on Good Friday, April 12th for
violating the injunction prohibiting white business owners from desegregating their business to hire
African Americans. As a result, King wrote this letter while in jail for a national audience and his
opposition to read. King's letter hit many important points to both his opposition, his followers, and
those who do not know much about his protests. To his opposition, he answered their criticism about
his work and ideas when they said his activities were "unwise and untimely". To his

Essay Summary of Thoreau
Synopsis Economy: This is the first chapter and also the longest by far. Thoreau begins by outlining
his project: a two–year and two–month stay at a crude cabin in the woods near Walden Pond. He
does this, he says, in order to illustrate the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle. He easily
supplies the four necessities of life (food, shelter, clothing, and fuel). He meticulously records his
expenditures and earnings, demonstrating his understanding of "economy," as he builds his house
and buys and grows food. For a home and freedom, he spends a mere $25. Complementary Verses:
This chapter consists entirely of a poem, "The Pretensions of Poverty," by seventeenth–century
English poet Thomas Carew. The poem criticizes those who ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
To him, the railroad symbolizes the destruction of the good old pastoral way of life. Following is a
description of the sounds audible from his cabin: the church bells ringing, carriages rattling and
rumbling, cows lowing, whip–poor–wills singing, owls hooting, frogs croaking, and cockerels
crowing. Solitude: Thoreau rhapsodizes about the beneficial effects of living solitary and close to
nature. He loves to be alone, for "I never found the companion that was so companionable as
solitude," and he is never lonely as long as he is close to nature. He believes there is no great value
to be had by rubbing shoulders with the mass of humanity. Visitors: Thoreau writes about the
visitors to his cabin. Among the 25 or 30 visitors is a young Canadian woodchopper, whom Thoreau
idealizes as approaching the ideal man, and a runaway slave, whom Thoreau helps on his journey to
freedom in Canada. The Bean–Field: Thoreau relates his efforts to cultivate two and a half acres of
beans. He plants in June and spends his summer mornings weeding the field with a hoe. He sells
most of the crop, and his small profit of $8.71 covers his needs. The Village: Thoreau visits the
small town of Concord every day or two to hear the news, which he finds "as refreshing in its way
as the rustle of the leaves." Nevertheless, he fondly but rather contemptuously compares Concord to
a gopher colony. In late summer, he is arrested for refusing to pay

Rhetorical Analysis Thoreau
From a rhetorical standpoint, what makes Thoreau's speech effective–what strategies and rhetorical
appeals emphasize his points or make his argument convincing? Thoreau's speech effective because
throughout the essay Thoreau uses literary technique and Rhetoric devices to convey messages to
his audience. In particularly he includes William Paley thoughts on government to prove his points:
therefore Thoreau uses ethos in his essay reveals some sort of authority. On the other hand, he uses
literary devices such as irony because Thoreau mentions that government governs least is the best
government however later in the paragraph he also mentions that government doesn't governs at all
is the best government.
Identify the key features of Thoreau's writing style (his sentence structure, diction, tone, use of
figurative language). Which do you like and which frustrated you? Metaphor: He uses "machine" to
describes citizen, who are continuously listening to the government without questioning them and
they are like machine because they do not stop they are continuously working. Tone: Incredulous
because Thoreau criticizes the government throughout the essay and he is unwilling to believe in
government system. Diction: The word "wood" and "stone" have a negative connotation the words
are implying that citizens are turn into a objects and they are not alive. For example, machine listen
to people without questioning likewise citizen are listening to government without questioning
them.
What, from your own analysis, is Thoreau's MAIN point? There is a flaws in our government
system therefore we must government system. In order to reform government system people should
stop accepting government decision, instead of accepting government decision they should disobey
the law. Also, his purpose is to point out his audience that citizens are machines they accept
everything government told them to do therefore he is criticizing them and he believes they are
responsible for the flaws in the government system. Therefore, he likes people who are go against
government like him.
With which arguments of Thoreau do you agree? The current government system is flawed

In the year of 1600's, the United States of America was being colonized by European countries
especially by England. However, on 4th of July 1776 America became independent after having
drafted the "Declaration of Independence" initiated by Thomas Jefferson [History of the United
States, Wikipedia]. The difference between these two time periods shows that Britain had colonized
America for about 176 years which ultimately led to prosper European cultures. Although America
became an independent nation, European culture was still playing its role. Therefore, American
writers namely Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau presented an idea about American
Identity.
Emerson in The American Scholar and Thoreau in Walden represents the idea ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Similar to Emerson, he also mentions about a person's thinking capability not to be limited but to be
expanding further. He too makes a judgment on a person's thought. In Walden, there is a paragraph
whereby he talks about Walden Pond which men believed it to be bottomless. People came up with
various stories regarding the pond being bottomless but no one tried to figure the truth. So, he,
Thoreau went to discover the truth and he found out that the pond was not bottomless instead it had
depth of "One hundred and seven" [Thoreau,1854]. Through this a person is able to understand that
a man is not supposed to believe in stories created by other men because each man is an individual
and have the right to know answers. Thoreau is trying to convince men to diverse their thoughts
beyond the information given by the Europeans which in turn will help shape an American identity.
Again in Walden, Thoreau wrote, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately" [1854].
It is quite strange that Thoreau had chosen to live in woods purposely. Perhaps one reason can be
that he is a transcendentalist but one must not forget that he had discovered about the Walden Pond
when he was deliberately living in the woods. However, another possible explanation can be that
woods are not dominated or are controlled by anyone, nature lives freely in world. Therefore, a
reader can

Essay on Emerson And Thoreau
&#8220;Dance to the beat of your own drummer:'; A piece of advice that I have been told my
whole life, and have tried my hardest to follow. The words were taken from Thoreau&#8217;s
quote, &#8220;If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears
a different drummer.';
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau changed our lives. How? Well, the answer is not
so simple as the statement. To understand fully how they affected our lives, we have to understand
the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and the relationship between the two. So let&#8217;s
begin with the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau.
Emerson was born in 1803, into ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many people claim that Thoreau&#8217;s ideas were simply taken from
Emerson&#8217;s, in fact, some critics call Thoreau Emerson&#8217;s miror. And
although their philosophies greatly reflected one another, they differed in many ways as well.
Emerson&#8217;s writing focused on nonconformity and individuality. In his essay
"Self–Reliance," he wrote, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own
mind," and, "Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist."
Emerson writings were also more focused on the self; philosophy of humanism and Independence
from society are all things that Emerson wrote on frequently. Thoreau, while focusing on matters of
the self in many of his essays, tended to have more of a political overtone to his writing.
In &#8220;Civil Disobedience';, Thoreau&#8217;s most famous social protest, He
explains that it is our civil right to disagree with laws. He believed that people must be free to act
according to their own idea of right and wrong, without government interference. In "Civil
Disobedience", he said that people should refuse to obey any law they believe is unjust.
Thoreau practiced this type of passive resistance when, in 1846, he refused to pay poll taxes. He did
so to express his opposition to the Mexican War. Thoreau spent one night in jail for his refusal.

Thoreau and Transcendentalism Essays
Followers of the Transcendentalist movement stressed the religious, philosophical and ideological
importance of life. Henry David Thoreau was a staunch supporter of the movement. Thoreau felt
that a person lived a good life by following his conscience and instincts. He also felt that
materialism was a sure way to distract a person from leading a good and moral life. Thoreau
proposed for the government to be involved in as little of a citizen's life as possible; he felt too much
government control just complicated a person's life. Like most Transcendentalists, Thoreau believed
there was a direct connection to God through nature. If a person appreciated nature he would gain a
higher understanding of God. Finally, Thoreau encouraged ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Instead, Thoreau built a simple but efficient cabin and furnished it with the basic necessity of a bed,
table, chairs and desk. He also didn't waste his time and energy trying to keep up with the latest
fashions; he wore comfortable and long lasting clothes. Thoreau explained to his readers that this
simplistic way of life decreased the dreariness of every day life and left more time to explore one's
meaning of life and his role in the world. Freeing oneself from the economic race, Thoreau argued,
allowed for individual to be inspired by nature and focus on the genuine concerns of life. In
Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, he argues that when civil laws conflict with an individual's morality,
the individual should follows his conscience. Thoreau like many Transcendentalists felt a less
involved government was best. Thoreau wrote, "That government is best which governs not at all."
Obviously, Thoreau realized that he could afford to take this open opinion on government because of
the American government. But he felt that government's authority should be limited to physical
matters of the country, such as infrastructure and orderliness. He felt a government that become
involved in moral matters such as sobriety and slavery was a government over–stepping its
boundaries. Ultimately, Thoreau and other transcendentalists felt a utopian society would be the
best.

Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
INTRODUCTION
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister,
development critic, surveyor, historian , philosopher andtranscendentalist. Henry David Thoreau
was a complex man of many talents who worked hard to shape his craft and his life. He is best
known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay,
Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to
an unjust state.
Henry's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Among his lasting
contributions were his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods
and findings of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The school ended when John became fatally ill from tetanus in 1842[19] after cutting himself while
shaving. He died in his brother Henry's arms.[20] Meanwhile, he was spending a good deal of time
writing – he had begun a journal in 1837 which ran to 14 volumes of close–packed print when
published after his death. He wanted to be a poet.
But America starved its poets as a rule, and Thoreau spent much of his life attempting to do just
what he wanted and at the same time to survive. For he wanted to live as a poet as well as to write
poetry. He loved nature and could stay indoors only with effort. The beautiful woods, meadows, and
waters of the Concord neighborhood attracted him like a drug. He wandered among them by day
and by night, observing the world of nature closely and sympathetically. He named himself, half
humorously, "inspector of snow–storms and rainstorm
Ralph Emerson's Assessment
Upon graduation Thoreau returned home to Concord, where he met Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Thoreau's struggles were watched with compassion by an older Concord neighbor who was also one
of America's great men, Ralph Waldo

Thoreau On Civil Disobedience

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