A Plea for Captain John Brown

A detailed Summary of A Plea for Captain John Brown


After reading "A Plea for Captain John Brown", I find it hard to decide which side to take. Knowing a little history about the subject, I originally sided against the Captain, but by reading Thoreau's essay, I am swayed the other way. He makes a very strong argument for John Brown and probably persuaded many people at the time of his writing.

I look at what John Brown did and the first thing that comes to my mind is that it is illegal. I think many people probably looked at the situation and thought the same thing. This is why everyone sided against him so fast. Thoreau points out that Captain Brown was doing what was morally correct. However, we can't all go around breaking the law because we find other aspects of it immoral. That would be anarchy.


For a free thinker, I find Thoreau to be very close-minded to other people's opinions. I will not say that John Brown was entirely wrong in what he did, but I think anyone would agree that the adoption of this "morally correct" policy could tear the country apart. When push comes to shove Thoreau is just like everyone else: a person who will bend the rules in a situation where their morals conflict with someone else's. His only difference is that he can write persuasively enough that he might convert you, this and he is immovably strong in his beliefs so as not to follow anyone else. After reading this composition I noticed that it was written more than ten years after "Civil Disobedience," and it shows. Sadly, by this time, Thoreau has become more of a slavery-hating fanatic than a phil

Some common words found in the essay are:
John Brown, Brown Thoreau's, Christian Thoreau, Captain Brown, john brown, Sadly Thoreau, , modern christian, morally correct,

Approximate Word count = 536
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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