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Thoreau

            
             Thoughts of David Thoreau transferred to the German system of government.
             David Thoreau (1817-1862) is one of the most important writers in American History.
             In 1846 Thoreau refused to pay a tax because the government supported slavery in the US. While he was arrested for one day he got the inspiration to write an essay called "Civil Disobedience". In this essay Thoreau wrote about his opinion of government and special tax issues. For me as a foreigner it is interesting how Thoreau saw the roll of government two centuries ago, how it developed till today and if other governments of different countries like Germany followed these statements of Thoreau or if there are no equalities between them.
             One of the issues Thoreau discussed in his essay is the "individual roll" in government. He thought that the individuals have to keep the government responsible.
             The government's function was to represent the people. In the essay Thoreau supports Thomas Jefferson's statement: " That government is best which governs least". The government is not more than a thing and not it but the people are important. These opinions and ideas are very thoughtful and apply for today, too. 69 Years ago the Nazis won the general election in Germany and in the next years they build up a strong government (dictatorship) and did not represent the interests and opinions of the citizenship. The consequences were disastrous and terrifying. Every individual person involved in the government activities has to be responsible for its acts and behaviour. .
             Today there is a lot of civil discussion in Germany because of its history. Acts of the government are looked at very critically and especially the question of war is often closely scrutinized. This year there was a civic action group in my hometown which tried successfully to prevent a privatisation of a energy company run by the state. I think it is very important that all citizens are interested in, discuss about and try to involve in political events.


Essays Related to Thoreau

1. Thoreau

In Thoreau's passage, the author turns to his surroundings to provide his audience with an insight of life. In the passage, Thoreau analyzes the symbols of rebirth by comparing the rebirth process to a green blade. ... Thoreau has a very figurative style, and he demonstrates this in his metaphoric passage. With metaphors, Thoreau is able to use the concrete world as a reflection of being born again. ... Thoreau's message implies that a human can be reborn just as a green blade can. ...

  • Word Count: 465
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau begins his poem "Woof of the Sun, Etheral Gauze- with a description of fog covering the sun. ... Thoreau employs these metaphors to represent the semi-obscured realm that connects the physical world from the spiritual realm. ... Images of fog are featured in Thoreau's poetry to present the bridge between Nature and heaven. ... In lines eight and nine, Thoreau uses the phrases "dream drapery- and "dew cloth- to represent the translucence of the fog. ... In Thoreau's poetry fog serves as a metaphor of a semi-obscured realm where man and nature may unite. ...

  • Word Count: 1654
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Thoreau

Thoreau implies that wealth doesn't enhance a person's life, instead it ties a person down and restrains them from exploring themselves and the world. ... Thoreau believes that attaining material wealth leads a man to think his life is for a good purpose and that he has fulfilled expectations. ... Thoreau uses extravagant language to remind us that material things enslave us, warning us not to become too attached to material possessions. ... Thoreau suggests humans should shun their material possessions, live a simple and uninflicted life, and wallow in nature. ... Thoreau dimini...

  • Word Count: 460
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Thoreau

In Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, Thoreau takes a strong look at the government and the reasons why some government laws should not be followed. In Thoreau's opening lines he states, "That government is best which governs not at all;" (4-5). ... Thoreau refused to pay, however another person instead paid the money for him. ... Lastly, Thoreau speaks of a poll tax. ... Thoreau was released when once again someone paid the tax for him. ...

  • Word Count: 472
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Thoreau

(Thoreau, Walden.) Thoreau's belief in the importance of individualism is evident several times during his life. ... (Thoreau, Civil Disobedience.) ... All through his life Thoreau exercises his beliefs in his actions and his writings. ... (Thoreau, Civil Disobedience.) ...

  • Word Count: 436
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Thoreau and Emerson

Thoreau and Emerson share common views on their logical reasoning for issues. ... These similarities may have developed through Thoreau's reading of Emerson's Nature essay. ... Emerson and Thoreau also view nature as voice. ... Emerson and Thoreau saw nature as a constant expression of their spirits. ... Thoreau not only writes about actions, but he describes certain events that portray actions, such as, Thoreau living at Walden's Pond. ...

  • Word Count: 422
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Civil Disobedience by Thoreau

Thoreau's position is summarized in a single rebellious act: in protest of slavery, Thoreau refuses to pay taxes and spends a night in jail. ... A critical look at Thoreau's, Civil Disobedience initially reveals the authors effective mixture of poetry and social commentary. ... Thoreau approaches this through his recollection of an encounter with a local tax collector who is well acquainted with Thoreau's good standing in the community, yet treats his like a degenerate anyway. ... Thoreau clearly despised involuntary servitude and viewed it as perhaps the most insidious crime...

  • Word Count: 1220
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Where I Lived and What I Lived For by Thoreau

Thoreau's attitude shown in his work exemplifies desired ideas that would philosophically create peace, however I feel that Thoreau does not take into account the current nature that people of the modern world have adapted to: fast paced living that does not allow a person to enjoy the "now" due to their tense focus on the tomorrow. ... This statement is ironic because by doing this, you are still losing one day, which is Thoreau's view. ... Time is a huge point shown throughout the third paragraph of Thoreau's literary work. Thoreau's views on the egoistic na...

  • Word Count: 595
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Thoreau - Where I Lived, and What I Lived For

One culprit causing this subconscious clutter, in Thoreau's opinion, is the local news. ... Thoreau tells his readers just what the "news" really is: gossip. According to Thoreau, keeping to ourselves would have more than one benefit. ... There are many points Thoreau makes in this chapter that deeply resonate with me. ... Another issue Thoreau brings up in the topic of gossip and I believe Thoreau's opinion of this matter is very accurate, even moreso in this current era. ...

  • Word Count: 1069
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

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