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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page rhetorical analysis of Henry David Thoreau's famous essay. Civil Disobedience is an eloquent composition that lays out the parameters of what people should and should not accept in governmental action. Thoreau's intention is to demonstrate logically to his readers that to passively accept injustices perpetuated by government is morally equivalent to supporting those injustices. Rhetorical analysis of Thoreau's argument demonstrates how he achieves this purpose and, therefore, why this essay has been extremely influential in both American and world history. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khthciv.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
is to demonstrate logically to his readers that to passively accept injustices perpetuated by government is morally equivalent to supporting those injustices. Rhetorical analysis of Thoreaus argument demonstrates how he
achieves this purpose and, therefore, why this essay has been extremely influential in both American and world history. The objective of argumentative writing is to persuade an audience to
adopt the perspective of the writer. In antiquity, the Greek philosopher Aristotle categorized persuasive arguments as falling into three categories--ethos, pathos, and logos (Ramage and Bean). Ethos, or "ethical appeal,"
refers to whether or not the writer comes across as trustworthy or credible (Ramage and Bean). Ethos is "conveyed through (the) tone and style of the message" (Ramage and Bean).
Thoreaus writing style is eloquent and logical. It identifies Thoreau as a man of considerable education and insight and, therefore, as someone to whom the reader should offer respectful attention.
Pathos refers to the emotional component of an argument and persuades by connecting with the readers emotions (Ramage and Bean). This aspect of Aristotelian rhetoric is also present in
Thoreaus essay, but only subtly. He connects with emotions by appealing to the strong individualistic streak in the American character. Rather than crediting the government with the accomplishments of the
American people, Thoreau argues that the government "does not settle the West. It does no educate" that it is the American people that have accomplished these tasks and that
they "would have done somewhat more if the government had not sometimes got in its way" (Thoreau). In another instance, he makes an emotional appeal for his readers to consider
how governments are not always right, by writing, "Why does it (government) always crucify Christ and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?" (Thoreau). While both ethos
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