Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

A detailed Summary of Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

One of the main functions of literature in the course of human history has been to explore society: its champions, achievements and often its shortcomings. When an author publishes a piece that is critical of the society in which he lives, the value of that piece cannot fully be realized in his generation. If his ideas and criticisms have merit in the years, decades, or centuries following his death, then does his work become immortal. Shakespeare's works, while

at times being hard to read in modern times, carry strong ideas about social interaction and problems faced even today. Such is the case for Henry David Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience." His ideas were championed in the 1960's as America fought a controversial war in Asia, and fought against itself at home. While containing often times excessively fiery and revolutionary rhetoric, at its core "Civil Disobedience" contains observations on American politics and society that are valid even today.

Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" was written in a state of anger and disillusionment following the author's brief imprisonment. This reactionary method of writing causes his essay, at times, to seem merely one man "biting his thumb" at the government that held him capt

content to grumble from afar as they profited from trade with the slave states. Thoreau writes, "Practically speaking, the opponents to reform in Massachusetts are not the hundred thousand politicians at the South, but a hundred thousand merchants and farmers here, who are more interested in commerce and agriculture then they are in humanity..."

Much the same situation can be seen today in America's relationship with the nation of China. Outraged as many in the government claim to be at China for such immoral acts as the Tienemen Square massacre, they still support the label of Most Favored Nation given to China so that American businessmen can profit from free trade between the two nations. "I quarrel not with far-off foes, but with those who, near at home, cooperate with, and do the bidding of, those far away, and without whom the latter would be harmless." How much of the massive army that

The spirit that drove great men such as Jefferson or Washington to risk all in creating a new nation was the spirit of freedom. The first settlers came to America to find freedom from religious persecution. Later the leaders of what would become the United States desired freedom

of American military might against a foreign entity. Thoreau, like many men of his time, felt that America was becoming too much like the government from which it declared itself independent less then a hundred years before. He writes, "This American government, --what is it but a tradition...endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity?" As America attempted to grow and become a stronger example of democracy, Thorea

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jefferson Washington, Thoreau America, Civil Disobedience, Mexican War, American's Thoreau's, , China American, America Thoreau, Greece Rome, Ocean Thoreau's, civil disobedience, mexican war, modern america, thoreau writes, hundred thousand, nation china,

Approximate Word count = 1122
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English