Civil Disobedience (Literature Homework)

   In his classic essay, Thoreau describes the highest duty of good citizens. They must do what they think is right, even at the cost of going to jail. Written more than a century ago, this essay still stirs the mind and the heart. This is because of the radiant and vivid principles Thoreau uses to justify his claim. A claim that is related to several connotatively related concepts. For instance, Thoreau asks for a better government, wants to limit the power of the majority so that individuals could follow their conscience, insists that the noblest way to serve the government is with one's conscience, claims that citizens should be willing to go to jail to protest unjust policies, believes that prison can be a house of honor, and encourages protests without violence. Consequently, Thoreau explains such principles and claims by using specific epitomes that he considers unjust. In other words, Thoreau explains his reasons for having refused to pay taxes as an act of protest against slavery and the Mexican war. Thoreau uses countless literary devices in order to make the touchy opinions presented in his essay more convincing and easier to understand. For example, in several places in Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," the author, instead of making a forthright statement, decides to use a the device of a rhetorical question, that is, a question that is made to further an argument, not to be answered either in the text or by the reader. Also, the author uses aphorisms to convey his views about government, law , and individual conduct. By using this technique, Thoreau boils down his key ideas to concise, memorable statements.    

Self-Reliance (Literature H.W.)

   
    To determine whether a self-reliant person would criticize or shun certain aspects of modern life, one should take into consideration the general charcterization of the self-reliant person based on  Emerson's essay of "Self-Reliance." Most essentially, a self-reliant person defends the notion as being the only sure and steady path to follow, and he/she extols the virtues of being a noncomformist. For instance, the aspect of using social network and websites( e.g. Facebook and Twitter) would be probably criticized by a self-reliant person. He/she insists on living up to his/her own defintion of life without following the path of confomity. He/she would communicate by talking to his friends in person rather than imitating what everyone does by just visiting certain social networks since social networks are not the only and lonely means of communication. Another aspect of modern life is related to the future careers that school students dream of. Many of the students would prefer to live up to their parent's expectations. However, a self reliant person would insist on living up to his/her own definition of life and would choose the future career that he/she personally likes and prefers.In other words,a self reliant person wouldn't implement what others expect from him/her. Consequently, the abovementioned aspect would be definitely criticized by a self-reliant person.

My name is Aseel Musleh  in Grade 11 Pink. Welcome to my blog