Thoreau uses rhetorical questions and repetition of the first few words of those rhetorical questions to make his audience think. He also uses figurative language devices such as personification and metaphor to illustrate how the government can be used for good or evil.
Thoreau effectively persuaded through his writing "Civil Disobedience" by using logical arguments supported by examples and appealing to the reader's sense of morality and justice. He emphasized the importance of individual conscience and nonviolent resistance as a means to challenge unjust laws and government actions. Thoreau's persuasive techniques included rhetorical questions, vivid language, and personal anecdotes to engage readers and make his message compelling.
His transcendentalist ideas basically motivated people to "get of their asses, and do something", thus making people actually rely on themselves. Thoreau's works benefited society, in that people actually started to rely on themselves rather than on other people.
The Mexican War.
Henry David Thoreau's primary purpose in writing "Civil Disobedience" was to argue for individual resistance to unjust government actions, particularly in the form of passive resistance to unjust laws. Thoreau believed that individuals have a moral obligation to refuse to participate in injustice and to act according to their own conscience.
Henry David Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience as a form of protest against taxation. He spent the night in jail after refusing to pay a tax that would fund the Mexican War. He thought that submitting to the tax was being a slave to the government.
Essays and articles
Thoreau is sometimes cited as an anarchist, and though Civil Disobedience seems to call for improving rather than abolishing government-"I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"-the direction of this improvement points toward anarchism: "'That government is best which governs not at all'; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have."Richard Drinnon partly blames Thoreau for the ambiguity, noting that Thoreau's "sly satire, his liking for wide margins for his writing, and his fondness for paradox provided ammunition for widely divergent interpretations of 'Civil Disobedience
Thoreau's communion with nature was at the basis of both his life and his writing.
Thoreau's writing reflects American society by advocating for self-reliance, simplicity, and living in harmony with nature. He critiques materialism, consumerism, and conformity while promoting individual freedom and nonviolent resistance. Thoreau's emphasis on civil disobedience and ethical living has influenced movements for social justice and environmental conservation in the United States.
Defiant
Good writing conveys information effectively, engages the reader, and evokes emotions or reactions. It can also persuade, entertain, educate, or inspire the audience. Ultimately, the purpose of good writing is to communicate ideas clearly and impactfully.
Persuasive writing aims to convince one to agree with a certain stance, idea, or opinion.
To explain why citizens have a moral obligation to disobey laws they find unjust
Henry David Thoreau was famous for his book "Walden," which details his experience living simply in nature at Walden Pond. He was also known for his essay "Civil Disobedience," which advocated for nonviolent protest against unjust laws. Thoreau's writing and ideas have had a lasting impact on environmentalism, civil rights movements, and literature.
Thoreau lived on Emerson’s land, which was the subject of one of his books.