Summary Of Henry David Thoreau's Resistance To Civil Government

From the start of man fighting for freedom or his beliefs, the question has consistently been whether a person can wage a battle using words rather than actions. The notion of civil disobedience would seem to be an inept weapon against political inequity; history, however, has persistently proven it to be the most dynamic weapon of the individual. By refusing to pay his taxes and subsequently being imprisoned, Henry David Thoreau demonstrated this very defiance. Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government conveys the effectiveness of the individual conscience, renounces hypocrisy, and cultivates a sense of urgency where inaction creates a moral conflict. This path of responsibility paved by Thoreau gave our leaders of today the means they

The two pieces of literature, Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Harlan Ellison’s “’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman”, are two very distinct pieces of literature, but they are also very closely related. The quote is related to the short story because the concept of the quote is exemplified by the story. The machines are the people who conform, the leaders of the state by their heads are the Ticktockman and his staff, and the hero and enemy is Everett C. Marm, who is also known as the Harlequin. A way that the quote is exemplified in the story is that each element of the quote, the machines, leaders of the state by their heads, and the hero that is seen as an enemy, are personified in the short story.

In his expository essay Resistance to Civil Government, Henry Thoreau compares men serving in the armed forces of The United States to wooden statues and he discusses how the government has manipulated and used their men. Throughout the course of Thoreau’s essay, he challenges his reader to look beyond the superficial aspect of their country and address the issues that often go unnoticed. Thoreau dares readers to respond boldly to topics and decisions that they might consider unfair or unjust. Prompted by an instance in which he stood up for a tax that he thought was unjust, Thoreau writes a provoking, almost taunting essay in which he describes some of the abuses that the government has forced on its people.

What Kind of person does Henry David Thoreau seem to be? How would you characterize his state of mind and emotion as he composed “Civil Disobedience”?

Kaepernick began his silent, kneeling protest at the beginning of last season, not as an assault against the United States military or the flag but as a dissent against a system that has, with a great degree of consistency, failed to hold accountable police who kill unarmed citizens. Since he did this, forty-one unarmed individuals have been fatally shot by police in the United States, twelve of them African-American, according to a database maintained by the Washington Post. The city of St. Louis recently witnessed three days of protests after the acquittal of Jason Stockley, the former officer who, while still working for the city’s police force, fatally shot Anthony Smith, an eighteen-year-old African-American motorist who had led officers on a chase. Stockley emerged from his vehicle, having declared that he would “kill the motherfucker,” then proceeded to fire five rounds into the car. Later, a firearm was found on the seat of Smith’s car, but the weapon bore only Stockley’s DNA. The issue is not imaginary.

Henry David Thoreau’s writings are a strong testament of his political views in which he preaches. Thoreau’s writings capture and develop his political thinking and reflect his reactions to the various political conflicts that were occurring during his life time. Although most of these writings were dealing with different topics, his unique writing style can be clearly identified by almost any reader. Thoreau implements metaphors; anecdotes, imagery and paradoxes in his writings to best evoke his messages.

In Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, he is writing to the American people. He is trying to spark a desire for change, for people to oppose their government without actions. He uses this work to criticize the American institution of slavery as well as the Mexican-American War. Thoreau is attempting to convey the importance of listening to one’s conscience over the laws, believing that it is more important to do what they feel is right rather than listen to the laws given by the majority. Thoreau feels that people should protest against their government, but not using violent actions. He is trying to persuade the people to voice their opinions and break the chain of majority rule. Thoreau is writing during the time of the war between the United States and Mexico, which took place between 1846 and 1848. He writes to oppose the government’s actions and policies during this time period. He refused to pay a tax that would support the war and was imprisoned for a day. Thoreau uses ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience to agree with his view of the American government and to voice their oppositions.

The Statue of Liberty is an American symbol of justice and freedom from oppression, yet in Henry Thoreau's opinion, the U.S. government is completely antithetical. In Thoreau’s essay on civil disobedience, he introduces and accepts the motto, “That government is best which governs not at all.” In his eyes, the government does more harm than good for its people. Underneath his seemingly main idea, Thoreau implies an overall antithesis where he defines who, in his eyes, is allowed to be disobedient. In order to advance this main idea and reinforce this mottos throughout the essay, Thoreau uses metaphors and juxtaposition to strengthen this subtle antithesis found throughout the essay.

Civil disobedience is the refusal to comply with certain laws as a non-violent form of protest to bring change among these laws. Henry David Thoreau, a highly educated activist for equality during the 1800’s, did not believe in the war against Mexico in the 1840’s, in which he would not pay his taxes in spite of these feelings. His illustration of civil disobedience landed him in jail, where he wrote “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”; an essay stating the human rights against the government of which they are under in the form of non-violent protest to change certain laws. Thoreau and the March on Washington, effectively illustrated civil disobedience to bring change upon everyday thought and law during the time in which the events occurred

Have you ever thought that the government had too much power, and didn’t have the right people making the laws that everyone is expected to abide by? There are many people, including myself, that feel like the leadership we have influencing us in government isn’t quite up to par. Henry David Thoreau was one of those people as well. Though Thoreau had different reasons for his belief than most do today, such as the war with Mexico and slavery, his principles still stand strong in my opinion.

“Please don’t let me die”. These 5 words were the last words uttered by 16-year old Kimani Gray on March 9, 2013 as he died at the hands of police. Since police officers who are faced with dangerous and armed suspects are trained to “defend themselves”, it is imperative that we critically examine circumstances surrounding the death of unarmed African Americans. Recent high –profile cases of unarmed black men dying at the hands of the US police have sparked civil unrest and protests in several American cities. In an episode of the popular TV show, Law and Order, this is played out perfectly as an unarmed Black male was gunned down by 3 police officers. The episode goes on to investigate the incident, how the cops should be disciplined-if disciplined

Without a job, without a source of income, without a way to provide oneself with the necessities, how would one survive in life? It is stated in Henry David Thoreau’s essay, “Resistance to Civil Government,” that the reaction to an unfair government is to remove oneself from office if the government violates the moral human law and rebel/revolutionize against the government. This is clear in the following quote, “All machines have their friction; …But when the friction comes to have its machine, and oppression and robbery are organized, I say, let us not have such a machine any longer. In other words, when …a nation which has undertaken to be the refuge of liberty are slaves, and a whole country is unjustly overrun and conquered by a foreign army, …, I think that it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize.” However, rebelling could result in losing a government position which is leaving an occupation and that leads to serious consequences for the person involved.

Without a job, without a source of income, without a way to provide oneself with the necessities, how would one survive in life? Henry David Thoreau states in his essay, “Resistance to Civil Government,” that the reaction to an unfair government is to remove oneself from office if the government violates the moral human law. This is clear in the following quote, “The soldier is applauded who refuses to serve in an unjust war by those who do not refuse to sustain the unjust government which makes the war…” (Thoreau 12). However, simply leaving an occupation leads to serious consequences for the person involved.

Thoreau’s personal experiences help give a sense of realisticness to what he’s writing within his essay. The idea of resisting the government, being above whichever laws, seems irrational and bogus before taking the time to read this essay and while obviously there’s still plenty of reason to confine to the government's wishes, his essay offers a outside input to the reasons in why you shouldn’t- not because he feels as if he’s immune to law, or above authority- but because he feels as current politicans and laws aren’t as honorable as they are made out to be. With his personal experience he expresses that even through his time in jail, the law only confined his body and mind and alongside that with his wanting to conform to societal views

The title is an important aspect that should be considered and not misinterpreted. When this essay was first published it was under the title “Resistance to Civil Government”. The resistance in his title is later used as metaphor that compares the government to that of a machine. The machine is producing injustice therefore he says “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go; perchance it will wear smooth — certainly the machine will wear out.” He furthers this metaphor by saying “Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.” After the death of Thoreau his essay was retitled “Civil Disobedience”. For the purpose of this essay civil is meant as “relating to citizens