The third maxim by Ralph Waldo Emerson is "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." Emerson is saying that one's open honesty is importantly treasured. One's honesty is more important than following other people's beliefs. The maxim embodies the theme that people respect others' honesty more than emotionless obedience to conventions set forth by someone else. In connection to the play, "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the maxim is illustrated in the church scene scene where Thoreau pushes a wheelbarrow full of earth into a church. Thoreau asks the churchgoers, "Have all of you been shut up inside? On this beautiful morning? What a pity!,"(Lawrence and Lee 41) because Thoreau wants …show more content…
Consider the case of the political, fictional novel, "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. The scene is set in Manor Farm in an unknown destination and humanly intelligent animals have taken over the farm from their abusive master, Mr. Jones. Napoleon, the pig is the new tyrannical leader of all the farm animals and has instilled fear into everyone. Furthermore, Napoleon instructs one of his minions, Sqeauler, the pig to change the rule about how animals should never harm other animals, which was painted on the inner barn wall. When Boxer, the horse encounter the newly changed rule, Boxer expresses his honesty about the previous rule by asking Benjamin, the donkey to read new rule to confirm the change. Boxer's integrity about the fact that the rule was changed is acknowledged by the donkey which shows that Boxer's honesty is sacredly important. Boxer's integrity about the rule is important because if bystanders allowed tyrannical leaders to change fair rules to unfair rules, all of the people's rights
When comparing Civil Disobedience and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, it is clear that Thoreau’s ideas and thoughts were revolutionary at the time in which he lived. Both Civil Disobedience and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail are clear compositions of his views, however, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail more effectively connects people to his ideas. Both Civil Disobedience and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail assert Thoreau’s views on the freeing aspects of jail as well as his thoughts on the rest of America. While in Civil Disobedience Thoreau discusses the “wall of stone between [him] and [his] townsmen” and the even “more difficult [wall the townsmen must] to climb or break through, before they could get to be as free as [he] was”(Thoreau
There are similarities between Chris McCandless and Henry David Thoreau, but there is also many differences. Chris and David’s thoughts on the following ideas are just some of the many similarities they have: transcendentalism, materialism, individualism, and nature. One difference between McCandless and Thoreau is that Thoreau studied and enjoyed technology, while McCandless did not. The two characters may have extensive similarities, but their differences characterize their personalities.
So an interesting question arises: what exactly did Thoreau and Douglass mean, in “Walden” and “Narrative”, with mental slavery and how should the American public break with it? This essay will, at first, give a general definition of mental slavery. The second step is to compare and contrast Thoreau’s and Douglass’ vision on mental slavery. This essay will use Thoreau’s “Walden” and Douglass’ “Narrative” as primary sources to answer the central thesis. The essay is written from a abolitionist’ perspective.
What Thoreau is trying to show us is that society is corrupt and infects all human beings, and the only way to truly be free is to opt of out society and
We as citizens, should have the ability to know our limits, and obey certain rules without being forced. To conclude, Thoreau agrees that breaking the law due to injustice is
Thoreau is famous for the accomplishments of several remarkable writings in political, social, and environmental sights. In the short essay
Throughout history there have been many political changes that are either supported, or not, by citizens. In the given passage from, "Civil Disobedience," by Thoreau, a perspective of disagreeing with the government ways, is provided. Thoreau explains how a government should be in comparison to how it really is by utilizing his words to set the tone and mode, imagery to achieve his audience's understanding, and diction to make his writing scholarly. Although tone and mode are not directly stated, you can infer that Thoreau meant for his writing to be taken as serious and powerful. His implementation of words such as, "inexpedient," "execute," " integrity," and "command," makes one think about their lawful rights and reflect on what rights are supported or
But, because turning all these rules into action doesn’t always work well, we see these laws becoming unfair, which resulted in leading David Thoreau being thrown behind bars. Just as I mention before, two of the rhetorical devices Thoreau uses in the passage is anaphora and logos. He repetitively uses the word “It” in the following passage, “It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate.”
Because he feels like many people of his time want to act and talk and walk like everyone else, Thoreau also declared that “If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
While Thoreau’s admiration for the true human spirit and self-reliance is admirable it is also problematic because it is from a privileged viewpoint. Thoreau is also a hyper intelligent, able-bodied man in the early 19th century. And Fredrick Douglass might also represent a privileged viewpoint because he was able to recognize forms of the system that was constructed around him because of his hyper intelligence. While reading and exploring thought elevated his self-reliance and independence it was his own personal intelligence and determination to be able to dismantle his social barriers. While I do not believe Douglass is the only slave to push back on his physical and mental bondage, it can be assumed that it was not the norm of American Slavery because then slavery might
In the chapter “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” in “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau it says what it 's about practically in the name “where I lived, and what I lived for”. which by saying a rhetorical device it would be deductive reasoning there would be plenty of deductive reasoning in “where I lived, and what I lived for”. When I read “Where I lived ,and What I lived for” I saw in my perspective a guy that wanted to find a meaning in life, maybe it 's because it 's what I want to do and my brain is just analyzing it as if I’m perpetuating myself in his shoes or mindset . Thoreau seemed like he knows what to do and why to do it as if he wasn 't accidentally halting a risk he even said why he went to the woods. Thoreau exclaimed “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately” he wanted to be free.
Thoroughly Reading Thoreau (An Analysis on the works of Henry David Thoreau) There are many classic writers that have come out of America. Many have made large impacts on the world and have truly changed the way literature is read. Inside there works, there are hidden meanings and messages written between the lines that readers are able to pull apart and study daily. Henry David Thoreau is an American writer whose works are studied daily in English classes and in other settings.
Thoreau, in his chapter on “Higher Laws” from Walden, uses rhetorical devices to emphasis his purpose that in order to find out who you really are, you have to seclude yourself from the presence of others and live a simple life and focus on your individuality in order to control the necessities and priorities of one’s life. The use of these rhetorical devices are evident in the relationship he establishes with his audience through rhetorical appeals and devices. The use of rhetorical appeals in “Higher Laws” helps to establish Thoreau’s credibility, the logic behind his claim, and connect on a personal level with the reader. The use of the natural prairie hunter and the fisherman in paragraph one establishes Thoreau’s logic behind his claim by
Dr. Seuss said, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” He is saying that one should not care what others negatively think about them because it is irrelevant to the significance of their life. Civil-Disobedience and Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson also give advice on how to make life as meaningful as possible. These pieces of literature all present diverse ways of creating a meaningful existence. Thoreau and Emerson express their opinions about creating a purposeful life through Civil-Disobedience, Self-Reliance, and Walden.