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Rhetorical Analysis Of Henry David Thoreau

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Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, and widely known transcendentalist. He is most known for his compelling essay, Civil Disobedience, and his Memoir, Walden. Thoreau was a lifelong abolitionist, and shared this idea with others, during lectures for example. Throughout 1846 to 1848, Thoreau peacefully protested the unjust Government out of revulsion for slavery and the Mexican-American war, with aspirations that others would join him. Thoreau was briefly jailed for being a staunch supporter of the refusal to pay taxes for things he did not believe in, which in this case was the ongoing Mexican-American war. This captivity by the Government galvanized his motive for writing this well known essay, Civil Disobedience. In his essay, Thoreau …show more content…

Thoreau poses questions that get the Americans to think about their conformity; “Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” By asking this question and elaborating on what they could do to endeavor and amend the unjust laws, Thoreau insinuates that they should not be content to conform and obey them, they should flout against these unjust laws until they have triumphed! He uses this question to shout to all of the Americans conforming; to tell them to show their individuality and stand out. Another compelling question Thoreau asks is: “Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to put out its faults, and do better than it would have them? Why does it always crucify Christ and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?” Thoreau refers to the Government when asking all these questions about the Government’s role, indirectly getting his readers to question the Government and their actions. He asks why the Government does all these things, when it could be doing more to help America and everyone in …show more content…

Thoreau adds crucial detail to his essay and creates validity through the application of figurative language. Thoreau appeals to metaphors and allusion to inform his readers that the Government does not always do the unrivaled thing for its people; Thoreau uses metaphors in his essay to show his readers what the Government is like, and to help them make a connection to its true intentions. Thoreau lambasts the Government as, “The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies”. In other words, the Government views these men as serving them like a puppet. They can manipulate them to serve them however they wish. They also claim they are all the same; “wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well”. Thoreau gets the point across that those who serve the state and conform with their lives can be ‘manufactured’. That they could use their own influence to find many just like them, that they are as all the same and nothing special. Thoreau wants his readers to think that the Government does not care about its people and does not always do what is best for them, and this is why it needs to be modulated. This leads me to my next example. Thoreau wants to emphasize that the Government needed to change. He does this through an aphorism; “I HEARTILY accept the motto, That government is best which governs least". This motto in Thoreau’s case, is saying that if the Government wants to improve, it needs to take

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In the passage from "Civil Disobedience," the author, Thoreau, utilizes rhetorical devices to support his theme. Such devices include tone and diction. The theme expressed in the text is that the government is in need of change and acceptance, not a replacement. The author conveys a serious and professional tone throughout the passage. This helps add more to the seriousness of the subject and theme created which is the government needs change and acceptance, not a replacement.

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In Thoreau's "Civil Obedience" metaphor and parallelism are utilized to support his notion that the government fails to be one that is satisfactory. Thoreau's usage of metaphor expresses the uselessness that the government is. He writes, " It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves..." Here, Thoreau compares the government to a wooden gun, saying that it is as useless as one. He believes that the government is but a wooden gun to the people meaning that it is as useful for the people as a wooden gun would help a person, not useful at all.

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Thoreau starts by using parallel structure in the beginning of his essay. For instance, Thoreau starts by writing “I heartily accept the motto,-“That government is best which governs least;”and then clarifies that his true belief is “That government is best which governs not at all.” (Thoreau 224). Thoreau states that government is nothing but an imaginary idea that people choose to live by, yet this imaginary thing we call government is easy to manipulate, that one person can easily bid the government to do their will. While we believe that government is made to serve the people in which it governs, it is mainly used as a source to gain power.

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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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In Walden and Resistance to Civil Government, Henry David Thoreau the author, uses the rhetorical strategies of personification, metaphor, and allusion/symbolism in the chapter “Conclusion” to describe what he learned from his experiment of living in Walden Pond. Thoreau’s main message of what he learned is to be undefined by what’s in front. Without the limits of conformity, humans have the capacity to achieve much greater and beautiful dreams and goals. Conformity is the boundary that doesn’t let individuals reach their great potential. Thoreau uses effective personification to imply the significance of following one’s dreams confidently.

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In contrast, Thoreau begins his essay by criticizing the government system, and he believed that government is ineffective because of the stringent and barbarous laws. And he indicates his point when

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Thoreau also compares the government to a “wooden gun.” By using this comparison, Thoreau is basically saying that the government can show off, but the moment they are put under too much pressure, it will simply break apart, much like a wooden gun would break apart if it were actually ever

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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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Thoreau 's views on the government by comparing the government to a machine. He states, ”When the machine was producing injustice, it was the duty of conscientious citizens to be ‘a counter friction’ (i.e., a resistance) "to stop the machine.” The two major issues being debated in the United States during his life was slavery and the Mexican-American War in which were major reasons he wrote his essays. In the mid to late 1840’s slavery has been indoctrinated into American society in which caused rifts between Americans.

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He claims to, “Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it” (Thoreau). He also states, “This American government...has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his will” (Thoreau). Through these quotes, Thoreau expresses how he believes that men should be vocal enough to demand the type of government that would best support them. He also stresses how powerful the people and their influence are in regards to altering the government, whereas Steinbeck explained a circumstance where the people had to conform and change themselves in order to

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He objected the injustices of war and slavery, and practiced civil disobedience in his daily life. In the time of Thoreau writing Civil Disobedience, many people believed revolution against the government had not been necessary since the time of the American Revolution. However, Thoreau believes that resisting an abusive government is especially important at this point in time considering that, "a sixth of the population of 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, and subjected to military law." According to Thoreau, it is the duty of American citizens to promptly revolutionize against slavery and the Mexican-American War, which have both been supported by the corrupted American

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In the second paragraph, Thoreau asks, "This American government- what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity?" This passage identifies the disparity between the purpose of the "American government" and its endeavor not to become "impaired" throughout history. Thoreau later addresses the issue of majority rule by raising a series of rhetorical questions with the objective of underlining the contrast between the professed motives of the government and its practices. Thoreau identifies that the conscience, which ought to guide the "majorities" does not articulate itself in legislation. Thus, majority rule does not succeed in guaranteeing justice because of the mediation of the legislative apparatus.

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1332 Words | 6 Pages

Thoreau’s view on the society as he states, “In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well” go to show that it was harder to have individuality and to refuse the governments ways. Now-a-days the practice of civil disobedience has allowed citizens to practice non-conformity with the protection of amendments but back then while the nation was just growing they had to have more power and that, “so long as the interest of the whole society requires it, that is, so long as the established government cannot be resisted or changed without public inconveniency, it is the will of God that the established government be obeyed, and no longer" as quoted by Paley. The society was most likely pushed towards acceptance of the government and weren’t as self-reliant to make change in their

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Near the beginning of his renowned essay, "Civil Disobedience," Henry David Thoreau appeals to his fellow citizens when he says, "...I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. " This request serves as a starting point from which the rest of "Civil Disobedience" emerges. Thoreau 's essay is particularly compelling because of its incorporation of rhetorical strategies, including the use of logos, ethos, pathos, purposive discourse, rhetorical competence and identification. I will demonstrate how each of these rhetorical techniques benefit Thoreau 's persuasive argument. Thoreau uses logos throughout his essay to strengthen his argument with reasoning.

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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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