After suffering the loss of his liberty, he sees how little his neighbors are willing to risk of their own security to see justice done.
Paraphrase each of these observations:
a. "I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends;"
I saw that the people amongst whom I lived were good in name only -- they spoke about the value of justice, but would not lift a finger to do promote justice.
b. "that their friendship was for summer weather only;"
They did good deeds only when it was convenient for them to do so.
c. "that they were as distant a race from me by their prejudices and superstitions as the Chinamen
and Malays are;"
My sincere conviction in justice was completely foreign to my neighbors.
d. "that, in their sacrifices to humanity, they ran no risks, not even to their property;"
Their land and money meant more than the freedom of other human beings.
e. "that, after all they were not so noble but they treated the thief as he treated them;"
They would steal if it suited them: they were not compassionate but really believed in 'an eye for an eye' in their actual administration of justice.
f. "[they] hoped, by a certain outward observance and a few prayers, and by walking in a particular straight and useless path from time to time, to save their souls."
By not offending others, they hoped that this would win them a place in heaven.
36. What difference does Thoreau see in these taxes that he willingly pays and the poll tax, which he refuses?
School taxes help children, highway taxes serve a purpose to secure the roads he uses, but he does not want his money spent on a state that funds unjust wars so he refuses to pay his poll taxes.
37. In this paragraph,...
Thoreau's Resistance To Civil Government This is a paper discussing the Henry David Thoreau's essay 'Resistance to Civil Government' and arguing that his ideas represent the extreme individualism and anarchist ideology. The renowned American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau is considered to be one of the most influential minds in the American thought and literature. Thoreau had not only great influence on American thought but also on the politics of the
Thoreau (ethic Studies) How Thoreau sees the government: His vision of justice Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience" was written after the Transcendentalist author was imprisoned for refusing to pay his taxes in protest against the Mexican-American War. In his essay, Thoreau demanded that America become once again a truly free government, for the people and by the people. Thoreau believed in minimal government, given that all government leaders tend to set policy based
There are limitations on the destruction of wiretap records. The numbers of crimes for which wiretaps can be used, the types of judges who can authorize taps have both however, been expanded. What Does the Constitution Say? The United States Constitution states many principles of constitutional law that must be present in for Democracy to truly exist. Democracy is characterized by freedom and liberty to think and believe individually and the
Emerson and Thoreau Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American lecturer and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century and was a proponent of individualism and critic of societal pressures. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was also an American poet, but also an abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, historian and part of the Transcendentalist movement. To understand both of these men and their ideas, it is first necessary to place
Henry David Thoreau did not live a long life, however, he is perhaps America's most famous and beloved philosopher, rebel, and environmentalist. In 1846, he protested against slavery and the Mexican War by not paying his taxes and spent a night in jail (Thoreau pg). Thoreau said, He said, "It costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the State than it would to obey"
Introduction Civil disobedience is defined as a situation in which people take to the streets or act in violation of the law so as to review an issue by the public and the political class. Proponents of the use of civil disobedience say that such minor crimes including blocking roads and occupying public spaces are acceptable if the quest is to resolve an issue of greater magnitude. Serious issues that may
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now