In the middle of the 19th century, John Brown recruited supporters for an attack on slaveholders in Kansas. In order for the attack to succeed, Brown needed his men to be armed. He and several others attempted to raid the Harper’s Ferry Armory; however, they were caught and later executed. While Brown was in captivity, Henry David Thoreau heard of his attempt and wrote “A Plea for Captain John Brown” in which he defended John Brown’s actions. Thoreau was an abolitionist and believed that acting justly holds precedence over any law or form of government. In the above passage from “A Plea for Captain John Brown”, Thoreau utilizes elevating diction and juxtaposition to establish John Brown as the ideal man, while dismissing the media’s unfair judgements and slanderous claims through potent criticisms and a dismissive tone.
Thoreau begins his elevation of John Brown with an attack on the “prominent and influential editors” of the media. The choice of the adjectives “prominent” and “influential” initially builds up the esteem of the editors before the piece quickly changes direction and condemns the media’s criticisms of John Brown. Thoreau develops this idea through a comparison between John Brown and politicians. After stating the fact that editors are typically accustomed to dealing with politicians, Thoreau describes these politicians as “men of an …show more content…
He asks whether the people of Kansas think John Brown insane, and proposes that many people have retracted their words in silence. This is his final jab at the media. Even though the media speaks the loudest, the common people don’t agree. They may be supporting John Brown in silence, but they can at least see that he was a better man than them all. Thoreau is showing his audience that many others fell the way they do, silent though they may be. He believes the media has been unjust in their claims about John Brown, and that common people know the
Thoreau begins his elevation of John Brown with an attack on the “prominent and influential editors” of the media. The choice of the adjectives “prominent” and “influential” initially builds up the esteem of the editors before the piece quickly changes direction and condemns the media’s criticisms of John Brown. Thoreau develops this idea through a comparison between John Brown and politicians. After stating the fact that editors are typically accustomed to dealing with politicians, Thoreau describes these politicians as “men of an …show more content…
He asks whether the people of Kansas think John Brown insane, and proposes that many people have retracted their words in silence. This is his final jab at the media. Even though the media speaks the loudest, the common people don’t agree. They may be supporting John Brown in silence, but they can at least see that he was a better man than them all. Thoreau is showing his audience that many others fell the way they do, silent though they may be. He believes the media has been unjust in their claims about John Brown, and that common people know the