Resistance to Civil Government


Base on my personal view on these four words, “Resistance to Civil Government”, I expect this passage to go on non stop to criticize the government and sound out to his (Thoreau) audience how bad the American government is. Just as I expected, he condemn the government of America right from the starting paragraph, “That government is best which governs least”. What a short and intimidating sentence this is! I think every word he sounded is out against the government of America.
The government, in America particularly, is selfish and only cares for non other than “itself”. Why do I say “itself” rather than “himself”? Sharing the same thought hopefully, I think that Thoreau is trying to say that the government is an animal; as it is only an animal that we human uses “it” to describe him. Only an animal cares for no one other than itself. It will think of how to ease its own hunger first before coming to think of others, including their babies. (Page 752, line 4 to 8)
Furthermore, he also made a very harsh comment towards the important people of America, also my favorite line in this whole passage, “as almost legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders, serve the state chiefly with their heads; and as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil…” I personally think that the reason he said all this is either the fact that the government is really that towards his contrast of being a “devil”, or that the officials and all are nothing but professional boot-lickers. In the later part he is also contrast the officials as “clay”. I think that the reason behind this is that clay, which can be mould, means that whatever the government ask you to do, you do. (Page 753, line 8 to 14)
The main idea of this passage is to sound to the world of citizens that “we” should voice out our thoughts and ideas if we were to think that something is wrong and not right. We must not hesitate and regret, then petition: that will be too late. It is said by him that only a wise man will not leave the right to mercy of chance. “We” must voice our ideas towards the government and thus “we”, the majority, will out win the government. He is absolutely right and I agree towards him. But again, this passage is bias. The credibility of what he says is a mystery; but in this passage, he voices out strongly, and that means that the government must have done something harsh on him, if not his love ones.
benbasket at 8:01 AM