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Persuasive essay techniques higher english
Essay on civil disobedience movement
Persuasive essay techniques higher english
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Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau effectively portrays his disagreement with the government. He formally points out and describes the shortcomings of the government of his time; as well as, he describes the so called benefits of the governing body. In his work, Civil Disobedience, even the title speaks out on his position with the government. He provides a very clear stand on his argument and provides very valid points which, to this day, still hold true. Thoreau starts off his argument by describing the government as “expedient,” but at the same time “inexpedient.” Now, the obvious question is why the word choice? He is targeting the more educated side of society because they are more accustomed to understanding the political woes …show more content…
Thoreau bring states these rights so the average person knows that they do not have to obey the government; that it is their American right to revolutionize and resist the very government controlling them. Thoreau is very adamant on the abolition of slavery. He describes the voting like, “a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it…” Telling the audience that you can’t leave it up to chance because the majority doesn’t always agree with your own political views. However, he describes that there is very little virtue in the “action of the masses;” frankly, because the masses are going to abolish slavery because there are hardly any slaves anymore, not because of how inhumane it …show more content…
He starts asking rhetorical questions that hold the government accountable for the frailty of its people. Asking why the government does this and that before it takes action or feels an impact on society. He is using these questions to call upon the democratic governments shortcomings and point out its lack of morality. He states, “Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?” By asking this question he points out that the government thinks that rising up and holding your ground against a government is more wrong than a political injustice. The government believes Washington and Franklin were rebels because they had what it took to stand up to the foreign government and fight against them. The government of Thoreau’s era was doing everything in its power to demoralize a revolution because the leaders knew a revolution would tear apart the United States. He starts talking about the government using a metaphor with the injustice being the “necessary friction” of the “machine government.” Later calling upon the audience to be a part of the “counter friction” of the political machine to not participate in all that is
Without any government intervention, the state would be in shambles with no regulations on food, drugs, or the workforce. As for government based on conscience, Thoreau’s argument falls flat when he fails to recognize that majority rule is the only fair rule. Thoreau needed to learn that when friction takes over a machine, the machine is to be fixed, not thrown away. Evidently, Henry David Thoreau’s argument against organized government in America is much too flawed to be
Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience took the original idea of transcendentalism and put it into action. His civil acts of defiance were revolutionary as he endorsed a form of protest that did not incorporate violence or fear. Thoreau’s initial actions involving the protest of many governmental issues, including slavery, landed him in jail as he refused to pay taxes or to run away. Ironically, more than one hundred years later, the same issue of equal rights was tearing the United States apart. Yet African Americans, like Martin Luther King Jr., followed in Thoreau’s footsteps by partaking in acts of civil disobedience. Sit-ins and peaceful rallies drew attention to the issue while keeping it from escalating into a much more violent problem. Thoreau’s ideas were becoming prevalent as they were used by Civil Rights Activists and the Supreme Court, in such cases as Brown v. Board of Education. The ideology that was created by Thoreau aided the activists and the government in their quest for equality and a more just system of law.
In the article “Thoreau’s Case for Political Disengagement,” the author, Carl Bankston, examines Thoreau’s portrayal of having a moral conscience while being controlled by society. The author distinctly explains Thoreau’s ideas, while also giving his own opinion on the subject.
As I've studied Henry David Thoreau's essay "Resistance to Civil Government," I've identified the persuasive elements and analyzed a specific portion of the text to create my own argument. In this essay, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses found throughout both responses through the lens of persuasive analysis in order to prove my ability to utilize rhetorical strategies.
Thoreau was against the The Mexican American War and the act of Slavery in our society and was very skeptical towards the U.S government regarding these issues. The U.S government did more to harm the citizens of America more than it did to protect them and Thoreau realized that and was not afraid to speak his mind.. The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free” Thoreau is saying that don't just wait for change to come, make the change happen. He stand for what is right regardless of the consequences, therefore, he wanted the citizens of America to be bold enough to do the same.
Overall in "Civil Disobedience" Thoreau used many literary techniques to support his beliefs. These included emotional appeal, a hyperbole, and a paradox. Henry Thoreau used numerous more, in "Civil Disobedience" but these three were very strong to back up his confidence in his story. Thoreau just wants people to stand up for themselves, and do what they believe in. Thoreau wants them to be their own person, and express their own opinions. Henry Thoreau believes every single person should have a say in everything. Thoreau's belief is still relevant today. One person can make a huge difference. There happen to be many people who express Thoreau's beliefs including Martin Luther King, Jr., and millions other citizens in our generation.
Thoreau fails to consider that not everyone was afforded the opportunity to attend a top tier college such as Harvard. He frequently compares his life and educational level to those less fortunate than him. The audience may ask why Thoreau, with such a great education, believes his tax protest will help stop the Mexican-American War. Logically, the minuscule amount of money he owes the government is likely to do nothing to help the American campaign. If no one in the country paid taxes, how could the United States support and defend itself? Thoreau does not consider alternatives such as voting and an active protest demonstration; these could allow his voice to be heard by the public. Because he is not logically sound, Thoreau is not successful in capturing the audience’s
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a philosopher and writer who is well known for his criticism of the American government during the time. During Thoreau’s life, there were two major issues being debated in the United States: slavery and the Mexican-American War. Both issues greatly influenced his essay, as he actually practiced civil disobedience in his own life by refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. He states that the government should be based on conscience and that citizens should refuse to follow the law and have the duty not to participate and stay as a member of an unjust institution like the government. I argue that the notion of individualism and skepticism toward government is essential to the basis of many important reform movements in the modern society.
Resistance to Civil Government, by Henry David Thoreau used a logical strategy of writing. Right at the start he quotes, “The government is best which governs not at all.” This statement has no emotion, he states it as a fact, or logical way of thinking. Thoreau criticizes America and describes how we could be better, he explains the power of the people, and majority. He explains how majority works, with this simple statement on the control people can have over their government, “After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because
Henry David Thoreau was a poet, social philosopher, and educator in the early to mid- 1800s (Hampton). He graduated from Harvard University in 1837 and, upon his return to his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, befriended Ralph Waldo Emerson, also a philosopher and poet (Hampton, “Ralph Waldo Emerson”). Emerson was also the leader of the Transcendentalist movement which was based on the idea that people should lead by example -- social reform begins with the individual, not the government -- and that the movement should be peaceful (Woodlief, Ruehl). Thoreau agreed with this approach until the United States invaded Mexico in May, 1846 (Brown, Witherell). Opposed to slavery, Thoreau saw the invasion of Mexico as an attempt by the government to extend slavery westward. In his essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” published in 1849 with the original title, “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau protests against the government and states that is a man’s duty to rise up against the government when the government commits a wrong (Thoreau). In his writings, Thoreau uses the three rhetorical approaches of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in his attempts to persuade his readers to his point of view (Heinrichs).
... lived during times where the government and church held much power in society, but Thoreau’s On the Duty of Civil Disobedience appealed to me the most with his methods of civil disobedience. The government today holds power over the people in the United States. Even though the United States is a democratic government there is still corruption within it. Such as there being corrupt police officers who may lie to save himself knowing that he was wrong. Enabling the persecution of another person who is innocent. Also the rich in this government still hold the most power in this country. A rich person may buy their way out of jail, while a non rich person is not able to. I believe civil disobedience is a great way to combat the government because it prevents bloodshed and allows a message to get across if down with enough people to gain attention.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, author, poet, abolitionist, and naturalist. He was famous for his essay, “Civil Disobedience”, and his book, Walden. He believed in individual conscience and nonviolent acts of political resistance to protest unfair laws. Moreover, he valued the importance of observing nature, being individual, and living in a simple life by his own values. His writings later influenced the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In “Civil Disobedience” and Walden, he advocated individual nonviolent resistance to the unjust state and reflected his simple living in the nature.
In his essay, “Resistance to Civil Government,” often times dubbed, “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) argues against abiding by one’s State, in protest to the unjust laws within its government. Among many things, Thoreau was an American author, poet, and philosopher. He was a firm believer in the idea of civil disobedience, the act of refusing to obey certain laws of a government that are felt to be unjust. He opposed the laws regarding slavery, and did not support the Mexican-American war, believing it to be a tactic by the Southerners to spread slavery to the Southwest. To show his lack of support for the American government, he refused to pay his taxes.
As a transcendental work, “Civil Disobedience” maintains the idea of how Henry David Thoreau discusses how the government’s limitations can stop people’s moral freedom from expanding. This reflects ideas of transcendentalism because it understands the ideas of individual freedom and encourages citizens to take a stand against the government. As a transcendental writer, Henry David Thoreau focuses on individual right and freedom that has been controlled by the government. In presenting the government as a controlling force, Thoreau explains his lack of faith in the government and that people should fight back for their individual rights. Thoreau retaliated against the government by refusing to pay his taxes because he did not want to financially support the state of Massachusetts where he lived.
In "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau criticizes the American government for its democratic nature, namely, the idea of majority ruling. Like earlier transcendentalists, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau believes in the importance of the individual. In a society where there are many individuals with conflicting perceptions and beliefs, Emerson chooses passivity and isolation to avoid conflict with others. However, unlike Emerson, Thoreau rejects passivity and challenges his readers to stand up against the government that focuses on majorities over individuals. Thoreau argues that when power is in the hands of the people, the majority rules, "not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest" (Thoreau 64). Thoreau portrays this very fundamental element of democracy, w...