Rhetoric Of Protest Analysis

The point of the essay is to encourage the reader to act upon their opinions. Thoreau believes that simply having an opinion or casting a vote doesn’t cause change in the world, so it is important that people take the necessary steps to fix the problems they face as a society.

Martin Luther King, Jr. paved the way for the civil rights movement as he was unrelenting in his strive to eliminate segregation and the social system that upheld it. He fought for justice, freedom, and the equality of opportunity. He is famous for his use of civil disobedience to fight without fighting back, to accept the consequences of his defiances, and to use the initiatives of fellow citizens to act in opposition against the laws discriminating against people of color. King was an activist, but first, he was a pastor. He received a letter through the newspaper from other clergymen trying to discourage his efforts. Responding from a jail cell, King wrote a fifty paragraph letter on scraps of paper, justifying his cause and refuting their claims. In paragraphs fifteen to twenty-two, he specifically explains the effectiveness and necessity of his efforts. Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully justifies civil disobedience by utilizing logos developed through skillful syntax, and ethos built by thoughtful selection of detail.

Henry David Thoreau was a philosopher, poet, and essay writer who lived from 1817-1862. His essay “Civil Disobedience” was written when the Mexican American war was happening and slavery was still being allowed. Thoreau made his essay trying to convince the people of that current United States to rebel against the government when the government is being unfair. His purpose was to create a community which was aware of the government and fight for others not just care for themselves. He did this to get people to care for the mexicans and the slaves who were being mistreated. Throughout the essay Thoreau sounds concerned for the people of his time who do not care for the mexicans or slaves. To convince his audience that we need revolution audience he appeals to their logic by using rhetorical strategies, like extended metaphors, rhetorical questions, and oxymorons.

With over five million women, men and children united in all seven continents, the Women’s March was by far the largest and most peaceful protest in history. Washington, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Sydney and Paris are only a few out of the many cities world-wide that all groups of ages, genders, races and religions merged together on January 21st, 2017 to send a clear message to the brand-new government of the United States. Accumulating no arrest, the protesters conveyed that all rights are women’s rights, making the demonstration a successful act of civil disobedience. Although the Women’s March has yet to force the Congress to reform civil policy, the protest, along with all peaceful resistances, continue to positively impact free societies.

Henry David Thoreau was a simplistic man and philosopher well known for his attacks on American controversies. Thoreau was full of opinions and had many problems with the way the United States was run. He had strong opposition towards slavery and spoke his mind when it came to politics. Especially when it came to the Mexican American war, which he heavily disliked. Ralph Waldo Emerson heavily influenced him, and introduced him to the ideas of transcendentalism, a philosophy vital to Thoreau's way of thinking and writing. Thoreau was not an agitator. He did not believe that there shouldn’t be a government, but only a better one than currently existed. The government would not improve itself, so he argued; it was a patriotic man's duty to refuse to support it.

I honestly don't understand government. In Henry David Thoreau's essay, "Civil disobedience", written 1847. Henry is very passionate on the system of government and its corrupt and unjustified ways. He also has the idea that men are like machines going along with what they are told to do. And in this government where men are driven to war, they no longer are conscientious. They are slaves.

Many people in America feel that the media describes black protests as riots as a way to promote racism in America, and impose into people’s mind that African-Americans are criminals. Authors from different places around America expressed their opinions online about the use of the word “riot” to describe protests made by African-Americans. Through intelligent use the rhetorical appeals of ethos and pathos in their online articles, authors aim to persuade their audience to actively engage with their articles and convince them that their points regarding this controversy of “ protests vs riots”, are strongly better than others’.

The Wiley College team went against Harvard College in a debate in 1935 which took place at Harvard University. The author of the Wiley College debate will be none other than James Farmer, Jr and Samantha Booke. The purpose of their debate is to convince the audience that civil disobedience is a moral weapon in the fight for justice.

When Thoreau walked from the prison door to the town common, he observed that “a change had to my eyes come over the scene- the town, and State, and country- greater than any that mere time could effect” (91-92). Thoreau was a perceptive man, meaning that he learned about his world by observing it. One night in prison made clearer to Thoreau the effects of disobedience on his place in society. Primarily, Thoreau’s night in prison allowed him to fully comprehend his relationship with the state, and with his peers.

Henry David Thoreau’s argument in civil disobedience makes the government more accountable, laws are made to justify the truth, but Thoreau believed that violence is not an answer to solve problems. Often Americans use the government as a solution to many of the problems the United States has but really the Americans are the problem using the government to take control over violence and use the government as violence based solutions. “Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects, and obtains them for him; it was certainly no great virtue to obtain it.” (Thoreau). By simply disobeying the government's unjust attitude and policies this creates a movement as well as non violence, therefore it will eventually have a trickling effect and turn a single drop

The author of the article discusses the hatred that revolves around the concept of equality in America. The author of the news article uses his knowledge of past events, such as slavery, and current issues. The audience of the article is those who don’t understand why the protests and riots in Charlottesville is an issue to many White Nationalist. The articles compare in the sense that they both discuss hatred that has been revolving on the issue, but they differ on what they speak of, as this article speaking of the president and his issues and the other speaks of the people. In conclusion, after many years of fighting against the hatred in society, there is still a lot to be done.

The idea of justice can be arbitrary. It can generally be decided based on what is deemed fair by the people, and most of the time, by the lawmakers. However, Henry David Thoreau argues in his essay Civil Disobedience that the use of moral conscience to discern unjust laws, especially from the government, and to peacefully resist them, is what serves true justice. Having been imprisoned once due to his refusal to pay the Massachusetts poll tax that supports the war against Mexico, Thoreau, as a Transcendentalist, started writing in his journal about the laws that the government imposes on its people to support unjust causes (Jacobus 134). Civil Disobedience discusses a relevant historical context— the widespread slavery and the Mexican War

Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" is an essay that attempts to persuade readers to oppose unjust government policies in general and the Mexican War and the institution of slavery in particular. Thoreau's argument seem anti-democratic on their face, particularly his disregard for majority opinion as expressed through elected representatives. But Thoreau reveals himself to be far more nuanced over the course of the essay. His fundamental respect for democracy and the Constitution coexists with a pervasive doubt about the integrity of politicians and the voting process, which significantly limits the ability of ordinary citizens to express their will in the first place.

The section from Henry Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” that I find to be most compelling is one from early on in the passage, during Thoreau’s critiques of government and society as a whole, namely the section in which he addresses what he believes to be the true reason for inaction regarding the freeing of the slaves. I found this section to be interesting because it seems to be one of the most clearly targeted passages, and one that has a solid message to be learned from it. Thoreau begins by making the claim that the Southern politicians and other outspoken opponents to the abolition of slavery that are impeding the process, rather he chastises the complacent common people of the North as the true hindrance of liberation. This is meant as

As smartphones are in everyone’s possession, “we’re being intimately exposed to footage of outrageous police brutality, terrorism victims jumping from the windows of a Paris theater and racially biased/sexist corporate emails revealed by hackers,” and protesting these actions and events morally nourish society. Referring to today’s world as “the age of protests,” Friedman addresses this issue of “moral arousal.” According to the article, “…we are becoming more morally aroused,” but are “…living in a never-ending storm…” A notable strength in speaking to this subject is the background information provided. Information about current protests, like in Germany, and past protests, like the dentist who killed the lion, helps give the reader background