Analysis Of Henry Thoreaus Civil Disobedience - 1175 Words

An experience a person may go through can change their outlook on what they believe in. â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† by Henry Thoreau, explains how Thoreau asserts that the government is more harmful than helpful when it is inexpedient. Thoreau also refused to pay a poll tax because of his opposition to the Mexican-American War and slavery and spent a night in jail. After that night, Thoreau gained a new perspective and saw his customary surroundings in a new light. That drastic experience changed his perspective like I changed mine went I went to El Salvador in the summer. El Salvador is a third world country that my parents both grew up in before coming to the United States. They decided to give my sister and I the opportunity to see my family†¦show more content†¦In Arkansas, there are specific laws that the citizens abide by. It is expected of everyone to follow these laws since there are consequences if any of these laws are broken. Police and other figures of law enforcement are here to patrol and make sure that they are following the laws that the state has put in place. Laws are also being edited or new laws are being passed to keep the safety at a high for everyone. These laws give order and lessens chaos that can abruptly come up. Laws and law enforcement are to ensure the safety other, but that is not always the case. Laws in El Salvador are hardly followed by its citizens. Police in El Salvador do not press citizens to abide by the country’s laws. The police are unprofessional and break laws themselves as well. I went shopping with my aunt at a market when I was in El Salvador, and we both witnessed a police officer taking fruits from a vendor. The officer never paid him and the vendor was yelling at him while the officer said, â€Å"What are you going to do about it?† I was in such shock that a man in a uniform with so much authority was taking fruit from a vendor. Law enforcement in El Salvador is also infested with MS- 13 which a gang that is involved in smuggling drugs to the United States, human trafficking, and child prostitution. This gang rules parts of El Salvador where law enforcement hasShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience984 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was an introspective who desired only a simple life and wandered the woods of Concord, Massachusetts journaling. How, then, did he influence such political icons as Mohandas Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, and Martin Luther King Jr.? The answer lies in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† (1849). â€Å"Civil Disobedience† is an analysis of the individual’s relationship to the state and focuses mainly on why men obey laws even when they violate their own conscience. It is not an essay of abstractRead MoreAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience1432 Words   |  6 Pages Civil Disobedience or originally known as â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† is one of the most known essay written by Henry David Thoreau. Published in 1866, it was written shortly after Thoreau spent one night in jail due to not paying a poll tax. Outraged by been imprisoned Thoreau wrote the essay to slam the government on many of the issues that were occurring at the time, some events like the Mexican-American war and slavery were the two major targets he bashed as he was opposed in goingRead MoreAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience By Ralph Waldo Emerson790 Words   |  4 Pageshis intuition. This idea is supported by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance because Emerson praises the independent nature of the individual and urges the individual to break away from away from the conformist society. In his essay Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau encourages the individual to challenge the authority of the government by breaking the laws that only reflect the will of the majority. It is important to â€Å"pause and reflectâ €  because not conforming to the ideas of the majorityRead MoreThe Effect Of Transcendentalism : Henry David Thoreau1654 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effect of Transcendentalism: Henry David Thoreau Transcendentalism is the American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century that was rooted in the pure Romanticism of the English and the German (Goodman). Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the father of Transcendentalism because his literature is the first to praise the notable spirituality of nature. The basic belief of the movement is to live authentically; being true to oneself (Day). 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Throughout the paper Thoreau makes a point of stating that â€Å"majority rule† is simply the will of the upper-class being forced into action over the rights and wills of the poorer minority. ThisRead MoreHenry David Thoreau: The Grat Transcendentalist Essay1932 Words   |  8 PagesHenry David Thoreau along with a select group of people propelled the short movement of transcendentalism during the 1830s to the 1850s and was later brought up during the Vietnam War. Many of the transcendentalist ideas came fro m student who attended Harvard University during this time period. Henry David Thoreau’s individualistic anarchist views on society were developed throughout his early life and later refined in his years of solitude; these views on society and government are directly expressedRead MoreHenry David Thoreau1930 Words   |  8 PagesBiographical Summary Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, and was the son of John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). Growing up in a â€Å"modest New England family,† Thoreau was one of four children and was accustomed to living practically (McElroy). As his family was â€Å"permanently poor,† he came to accept a moderate lifestyle, which may have later influenced his thoughts on the necessities of life (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). As aRead MoreThe Moratorium March 752 Words   |  4 Pagespeople participating all over the world (War Protests). This march had effectively united people to protest against the Vietnam War and the violation of human rights. Civil disobedience is a refusal to follow certain rules and is usually shown through a peaceful form of protest. The Moratorium March was somewhat a civil disobedience event because although it started as a peaceful anti- war movement, violence was unavoidable. The vast majority of demonstrators were peaceful; however, a conflict brokeRead MoreTranscendentalism in Civil Disobedience3710 Words   |  15 Pages Transcendentalism in Civil Disobedience Thoreaus Politics of Individuality and Nature Dannheisig 2 Contents Introduction 1. Transcendentalism a. Nature b. Introspective Conscience and Politics 2. Political Individualism a. Ethical and Political (In)justice b. Critique of Democracy Conclusion Bibliography 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dannheisig 3 Introduction Henry David Thoreau was part of a movement called American Transcendentalism. To illuminate Thoreaus understanding of democracy