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How Is Civil Disobedience Similar To Gandhi's Oppression

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Many of these people stood up for similar or the same groups. “Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislation?" (Saxby). This quote is from Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience. Thoreau believed that the public was being oppressed by their government and that government stifled free-thinking and free will. His belief became manifest in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union cut off communications and trade between itself and the rest of the world, and thus between its peoples and those of the rest of the world. The Iron Curtain and actual walls, such as the Berlin Wall, kept the Soviets separated from the rest of the world. Its people were not free to go where they pleased or do as they pleased. They were oppressed by their very …show more content…

“We [Indians] made it clear to the said Government that we would never bow to its outrageous laws” (Applebee). The native Indians too were oppressed by their government. In addition to the Indians, Gandhi also stood up for the South Africans. “In opposing the atrocious laws of the Government of South Africa, it was this method [satyagraha] that we adopted” (Applebee). How the South Africans were treated is similar to how the African Americans in the United States were treated: like second-class citizens who were oppressed by people who thought themselves superior due to deep-seeded racism. But there were always people to stand against such oppression. Thoreau, in his Civil Disobedience, protested slavery. Sojourner Truth, an ex-slave, protested the continued oppression of African Americans in the days following the end slavery in her speeches by saying, “We have been thrown down so low that nobody thought we’d ever get up again; but we… will come up again” (Gilbert). And this oppression continued well past those days too. The characters in The Great Debaters stood against oppression as

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Throughout the writing of “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau often referred back to his idea that he supported which was “That government is best which governs not at all.” (Thoreau) In the passage, Thoreau believed that the government does not have a conscience. He talked about not wanting to pay the government poll tax, which in result, caused him to be thrown into jail. A poll tax is just a tax on a person for existing, therefore, everyone had to pay the same amount regardless of the value of their possessions.

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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

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Published in 1849, a time filled with slavery and prejudice laws, Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience” was initially written as a speech to help express the importance of individuality amongst those under the government’s rule. Throughout his essay, Thoreau uses rhetorical techniques such as analogies for example, comparing men who serve the government to machines, to articulate his distrust towards the government, while emphasizing the active role that each citizen must play in it through standing up for their beliefs. He found it important to persuade civilians to oppose unjust government because many of the people around him were blindly following the government, without even considering their own moral conscience. Thoreau opens

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In the essay “Civil Disobedience,” written by Henry David Thoreau, he stated, “Government is at best an expedient, but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.” This expresses his opinion about the government that controlled America during the mid 1800s. His essay expresses that the government only addresses how to deal with a majority of the population, instead of finding a way to serve individuals. Thoreau’s viewpoint on the government is why he feels the need for resistance. For Thoreau, resistance means doing what a person believes is morally right.

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Civil Disobedience Compare and Contrast Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King both wrote persuasive discussions that oppose many ideals and make a justification of their cause, being both central to their argument. While the similarity is obvious, the two essays, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. do have some similarities. King tries persuading white, southern clergymen that segregation is an evil, unfair law that ought to defeat by use of agitation of direct protesting. Thoreau, on the other hand, writes to a broader, non-addressed audience, and focuses more on the state itself. He further accepts it at its current state, in regard to the battle with Mexico and the institution of slavery.

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Both Civil Disobedience and the Gandhi article are alike based on the fact they both discuss civil disobedience, attending prison, and standing for one’s beliefs. Civil disobedience can be seen as a good thing and a bad thing depending on to what extent one is breaking the laws. Some people may break the law because they feel that it is unfair to them but others break the for the simple fact of doing what they want in order for it to benefit themselves. Laws are meant for the majority which means even if they are not pertaining to certain citizens. Thoreau targeted laws that pertained to him, Gandhi went on strike for the better of his country and people.

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Better even to die free than to live slaves"(62). Frederick Douglass and other social activists choose to stand up to “strike the blow”, as the result they succeeded and different amendments were added to change our society. Also, this speaks out the eager for freedom--there is nothing worse than being unequally treated. “That doesn’t mean we’re against white people, but we sure are against...anything that looks like against us”(132). People have different opinions and when they want to reform, there is always going to be other groups against it.

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Henry David Thoreau was an American author and philosopher during the Transcendental Era of the nineteenth century. Although his most influential writing, Civil Disobedience, did not obtain the credit it should have deserved when it was first published in 1849, Thoreau’s work has impacted many renowned leaders in America who made a difference in today’s society. Civil Disobedience was written after Thoreau was placed in jail for one night because he refused to pay poll tax which was in protest of slavery and the U.S. involvement of the Mexican-American War.

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Although his essay, Civil Disobedience did not turn into legislation, and did not become a founding document for the US, it was still a critical influence in guiding the developing nation into what it is today. With the help of David Thoreau, the United States was turned into a nation based around just laws and a democratic process that allowed citizen to decide the fate of their nation rather than a monarchy or dictatorship where few people determine life and laws for the many. The section analyzed was the strongest in persuading readers to keep checks on their government and to keep it in line. There is no stronger language within the rest on Civil Disobedience than “Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels.” This line gives a connection to many people during the time the essay was written by comparing their highest prophets to the type of individual the essay is convincing the reader to

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Even though by the nonviolence acts that Gandhi used toward the British’s Gandhi was taken to jail for various reasons, one from disobeying authorities to urging public resistance of the British Empire. He beg responsibility and is sentenced to six years in prison but was later released in January, 1924. At the same time, during the 1963, in the united stated Martin Luther King was also taken to jail. Like Gandhi Even though King used non-violence to fix an injustice law he went to jail.

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The movie Gandhi was an inspiring depiction of the life of Mohandas Gandhi and the impact that he made on India in gaining its independence from Britain through the act of non-violent protest that made it possible. The film reveals the period of Indian immigrants being suppressed by the British authorities in 1893 South Africa. It shows the slow transformation of changes that occurs within India with the arrival of the Indian lawyer Gandhi who came to South Africa to be a legal advisor to a firm, and had witnessed the tragic reality of the absence of basic rights that his fellow Indian people were being denied of. Moved by the suffering, Gandhi displayed his ability to see the injustice and felt obligated to fix it through the interconnectedness

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In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau questions, “must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think we should be men first, and subjects afterward”, indicating that man should take more focus on standing up for what is right instead of conforming to what the majority is thinking or what people are being told to think by the government (Thoreau). Thoreau explains that every man has a conscience for a reason, all men are able to generate an opinion on what is right and what is wrong and that men should in a sense “man up” and fight instead of backing down to become slaves to the legislative government. Thoreau gives an example of his non-conformity in Civil Disobedience when he writes about how he stood up against the government by withholding money to pay his taxes.

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What Thoreau means by the Civil Disobedience is that every person should be govern more by his own moral compass that gives him much clearer answer to his deeds, rather than some laws of a government. “Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think we should be men first, and subjects afterward.” (1)

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A self-assessment of one 's strengths and weaknesses is essential to identify areas or skills in which one may or may not need to improve.(Bethel University, 2014) Admitting that I was weak at something became the hardest task while performing my self-assessment. For that reason, I learned that most of my poor responses quickly turned into okay answers. To no surprise, reading, writing, and retaining written information were my obvious weaknesses.

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