David Henry Hwang

Henry David Thoreau uses the idea of humanity and machines throughout his essay “Civil Disobedience.” At one point, he uses them together, asking whether the soldiers marching toward a war they know to be unjust are “men at all,” or instead “small moveable forts and magazines” (77). The defining characteristic of men, for Thoreau, is their conscience. When these soldiers suppressed their conscience, they in turn reduced their humanity. Conscience is the God-given faculty by which people can…

same beliefs as us. Chris Mccandless wanted to be away from society, where he was able to find peace within himself. The thought of doing the same thing over and over again was just not for him. A person who was very similar to Mccandless was Henry David Thoreau. They both shared similar values, had different results of their actions, and had a few things that they both could’ve learned from each other. Thoreau saw society just like Mccandless, they both wanted to “explore” and value nature,…

to participate in our democracy. With voting participation at about 50% in presidential elections (and dismally lower in midterms and local elections), alternative forms of participation are more important now than ever. Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau, and Edward Snowden exemplify how effective civil disobedience…

Henry David Thoreau, born in Concord, Massachusetts, was one of the most influential transcendentalist of his time. Getting away from the growing industrial town of Concord he escaped into the open, wooded lands around the pristine Walden pond. He passed his days observing and documenting his surroundings like the breeze rustling the branches of trees and shrubs, animals scurrying about the barren grounds, or the way that the rain hit the surface of the quaint pond and slowly rippled. He…

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time” (“Jack London” Wikiquote). London wrote this, it and it is quite clear that he believed every word. Based on his writings, London believed that people lived and died by the rules of nature. He believed, that the strong lived, and the weak perished. Jack London also had a very interesting life one filled with adventure. He spent most of his life on the run looking for…

All literature figures play a key role to shape the history of the world; within American literature, authors and poets alike create unique stories of fiction and non-fiction novels. Some are easy to read but others will take time to understand, depending on the level of reading that the reader carries. American literature within history should be cherished to everyone to instill the spirit and tradition passing to the next generation. “The Masque of the Red Death” was written by one of the…

The call to respond together, creatively and constructively, to all forms of violence comes of from Christian leaders, such as Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pope Francis. As a young citizen, I promote Peace by learning about people and their cultures, non-violently protests about racism, and negotiation. Throughout history Christian and non-Christian leaders have encouraged non-violence. Jesus said “ Turn the other cheek.” Gandhi created marches in India to nonviolently protest…

The Impact of Peaceful Resistance: Positive or Negative The United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. This famous line from the United States’ national anthem is a direct reference to people’s freedom and their ability to act upon their rights. This idea is the basic foundation to the concept of peaceful resistance or civil disobedience. Peaceful resistance allows a protestor to use their freedom of speech to go against an unjust act in order to gain equity…

Anyone can recognize when a law is unjust - but can they be brave enough to face the consequences if they choose to protest that law? Should they? Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience” critiques that citizens must protest a law that is unjust, and his own experiences and methods for protest, and Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” where he speaks of his approach to protesting against unjust laws, even if it lands him in jail. Both philosophers regarding on their answers on…

Elliot M. Zashin defines civil disobedience “as nonviolent, non-revolutionary… that breaks a law… done in public and done mainly to educate or persuade the majority” (Zashin, 1972, p. 110). This definition denotes that the place of civil disobedience on the map of political opposition is between revolution and peaceful protest. Revolutions aim to overturn the current regime or perhaps the entire political system. Political protest is often authorised by the existing authority and it attempts to…