Henry Thoreau’s Influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Essay

Henry Thoreau’s Influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Henry David Thoreau was a great American writer, philosopher, and naturalist of the 1800’s who’s writings have influenced many famous leaders in the 20th century, as well as in his own lifetime. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1817, where he was later educated at Harvard University. Thoreau was a transcendentalist writer, which means that he believed that intuition and the individual conscience â€Å"transcend† experience and are better guides to truth than are the senses and logical reason (Prentice Hall 1174). Thoreau is well known for writing Walden Pond, Excursions, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod, and A Yankee in Canada. In 1849 Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay†¦show more content†¦Thoreau refused to pay the poll ax because the money was being used to finance a war he was against. This war was over Texas, which was to enter the Union as a slave state. He wrote Civil Disobedience while in the Walden jail. Thoreau wrote how disap pointed he was with the government by forcing him to pay a poll tax that supported a war and slavery. King would later go to jail acting on his beliefs. Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau used civil disobedience to change people’s ideas and beliefs to stop the injustice brought against them and their nation. Civil Disobedience is defined as refusal to obey civil laws or decrees, which usually takes the form of direct action (Grolier’s Encyclopedia Online 2). Thoreau wrote that people practicing civil disobedience, break a law because they consider the law unjust. People want to call attention to its injustice. Thoreau voiced civil disobedience as, â€Å"An expression of the individual’s liberty to create change† (Thoreau 530). Years later Martin Luther King Jr. took the same idea of direct action to protest the injustices brought upon black Americans in the United States. One major example was the Birmingham bus boycott. Blacks where treated unjust and often had to give up their seats to whites, and had to listen to racial slurs made by the bus driver. King like Thoreau, did not take a violent approach, he often used sit-ins and rallies to unite the black community (EncartaShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience1432 Words   |  6 Pages Civil Disobedience or originally known as â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† is one of the most known essay written by Henry David Thoreau. Published in 1866, it was written shortly after Thoreau spent one night in jail due to not paying a poll tax. Outraged by been imprisoned Thoreau wrote the essay to slam the government on many of the issues that were occurring at the time, some events like the Mexican-American war and slavery were the two major targets he bashed as he was opposed in goingRead MoreHenry David Thoreau Resistance To Civil Disobedience Analysis1508 Words   |  7 Pagescivil government by Henry David Thoreau is an essay written about his opinion on opposing the government that was taking control of people’s rights, motivating his disagreement of slavery and the Mexican-American war. Mahatma Gandhi, a leader who fought for the Indians independent movement against British. Lastly but not least, Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the civil ri ghts movement. Within the tree leaders, Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. their connectionsRead MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau975 Words   |  4 Pages Henry David Thoreau was a very influential writer in the 1800s and still is today. 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Whether it be in the Transcendentalist Era of the early 19th century in which Thoreau composed one of the most prominent documents of his time â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, or during the 1960’s fight for racial equality in which Dr. King wrote his powerful â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, both seekedRead MoreEarly American Transcendentalism1204 Words   |  5 PagesEarly American transcendentalism has one of the greatest influences towards American society because it is not only a philosophy, but also a religion and physical progression. During the early nineteenth century, Ralph Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and other radical individuals challenged the present day theories of values, ethics, and what it means to live life to the fullest (Timko). If early Ameri can transcendentalists were living among civilians today, would present day civilians think the earlierRead MoreViolent Protest In 1848 : Civil Disobedience896 Words   |  4 PagesBartolomà © Soto Non-violent civil protest is what its known as a direct action from society and it is part of what Henry Thoreau called in his essay on 1848: Civil disobedience†. Civil disobedience, according to Rawls, is a public act of law breach that looks for create awareness among the population about the need to change certain public policies or certain laws that are considered to be unfair. Nowadays, we can see vivid examples of civil disobedience, being the most famous the case of VenezuelaRead MoreDevelopment of Transcendentalism901 Words   |  4 Pageswell-accepted idea today, many who fought for this type of negotiation were often considered radical for their introduction of it to society. Among those transcendentalists was Henry David Thoreau, who wrote â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, Mohandas Gandhi, who wrote â€Å"Satyagraha†, and Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote â€Å"Letters from Birmingham Jail†. Henry David Thoreau used the theory of transcendentalism in à ¢â‚¬Å"Civil Disobedience.† These three transcendentalists influenced the world’s belief in civil disobedience today. Read MoreHenry David Thoreau1930 Words   |  8 PagesBiographical Summary Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, and was the son of John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). Growing up in a â€Å"modest New England family,† Thoreau was one of four children and was accustomed to living practically (McElroy). As his family was â€Å"permanently poor,† he came to accept a moderate lifestyle, which may have later influenced his thoughts on the necessities of life (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). As aRead MoreHenry David Thoreaus Sociological Experimentation in Isolation655 Words   |  3 PagesIn Henry David Thoreau’s writings, he explores a different, more thoughtful way of life. Thoreau was a student of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson gave Thoreau the property on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts; where Thoreau spent about two years living away from the society. Thoreau’s social experimentation required him to separate himself from the society, to be an individual, and to learn from his experiences. Henry David Thoreau was given a piece of property on Walden Pond by Emerson. EvenRead MoreArticle Breakdown On Dr. King And Non Violence Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesArticle Breakdown on Dr. King and Non-violence The main purpose of Billy O. Wireman’s article â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi: God’s Co-Workers for Justice† is to connect Dr. King’s influences to the concept of non-violence. King led the American Civil Rights Movement with the realization that hate couldn’t exist within the hearts of those who wanted to produce change. King’s predecessor, Mohandas Gandhi also recognized the same thing. The second page of Wireman’s article reads â€Å"For

Rhetorical Analysisi - 1004 Words

Amanda Homme English 111 6/22/11 Rhetorical Analysis Essay The work that I chose to write about is â€Å"The Homeless and Their Children† taken from Jonathan Kozol’s book, â€Å"Rachel and Her Children†. This is a story of a woman whom Kozol calls Laura and her four children that lived in a run-down hotel room in 1985. The intended audience for this piece was pretty much anyone interested in reading this particular book. He wrote it for the general American public. I believe that Kozol felt bad for the women and their families that had to live in this government sponsored hell-hole. He describes Laura as a â€Å"broken stick† and says that Laura, â€Å" is so fragile the I find it hard to start a conversation when we are introduced a few nights†¦show more content†¦He seemed to be feeling down and depressed for Laura. He describes how there is a â€Å"spindly geranium plant† in the window of Laura’s room and how â€Å"the blowing snow hits the panes and blurs the dirt† (Kozol 3). It just seems that the reality and sadness of the situation are really setting in. The detailed descriptions, such as when he describes Laura and her children, as I mentioned in paragraph two of this paper, that Kozol puts into his piece also help him to set this sympathetic tone. Kozol is also very descriptive about the way the hotel looks and the management of the hotel. He wants us to be right there with him, Laura and her children. He wants this so that we feel what he feels for her and also to feel what Laura is feeling. On a personal note, I would like to read the rest of this book and possibly other works that Mr. Kozol did. In discussion with other classmates, I discovered that he did a lot of work with homeless and illiterate people. I do not know if he still writes, however, I would like to do some research and find out how long of a time period he did write for and compare some of the stories to see if and how situations changed over the

Lady Macbeth Analysis Free Essays

The characters in Shakespeare’s are strongly developed by the use of soliloquies. Through them, introspection of the characters is revealed. Lady Macbeth, in particular, is very dynamic, and her nature grows throughout the play. We will write a custom essay sample on Lady Macbeth Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Her changes are often highlighted through her soliloquies, thus giving the audience a clear idea of her development. When Macbeth told his wife of the witches’ prophecy, Lady Macbeth wanted nothing else but to make it true. She asked the spirits to â€Å"Unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty! † (Act 1, Scene 5) She asks for the power to convince and control her husband’s mind with her ambition to become the queen. In this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth reveals to the audience her evil nature; however, this trait is hidden from the characters around her as the minute Macbeth enters and her soliloquy finishes, she softens into a loving wife, calling Macbeth â€Å"My dearest love,† and comforting him of Duncan’s visit. Right before the scene ends, she tells him that â€Å"To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me. † This should send Macbeth a signal of her blooming nature. Lady Macbeth enters the courtyard of the castle after drugging the king’s guards with alcohol and says to herself that â€Å"what has quench’d them hath given me fire. † (Act 2, Scene 2) She is bold and ferocious, and she drunk not only on the alcohol, but her greed and her evil desires fuel her. Her soliloquy shows the audience the climax of her growth. She confidently admits to herself who she is and is happy about what she’s done. After meeting with Macbeth and seeing his weakness, she calls Macbeth â€Å"Infirm of purpose† and takes matters into her own hands to complete the deed. Lady Macbeth’s growth is revealed to both the audience and to her husband in this soliloquy. The last of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquies is during her sleep walk. She is admitting her crime, and trying to wash blood off her hands. She believes that ‘’all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand,† (Act 1, Scene 1) obviously crumbling under the guilt. Her fear is also torturing her, through her unresolved reassurance to herself that â€Å"Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out on ‘s grave. † There are no traces of her evil nature left, and her soliloquy reveals her weakness, and her regret as she admits to herself that â€Å"what is done cannot be undone. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the fierce minded wife of Macbeth, unlike most women of her time. She is strong willed, however, not stronger than her guilty conscience, as she is eventually crushed and killed by her own evil nature. Shakespeare shows the development of Lady Macbeth through three soliloquies placed in the beginning, the middle, and the end of the play to give the audience a very clear understanding of both the dynamics of the ch aracter and also the plot of the play. How to cite Lady Macbeth Analysis, Essay examples