| Background/ Context | Transcendental Tenets | Passage Meanings |
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He refused to pay his poll tax.
Why was Thoreau incarcerated?
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This is seen as Thoreau shows an opposition to slavery because he doesn't like the way it creates an inequality and lack of respect between people.
All transcendentals are said to believe that "every individual is to be respected because everyone has a portion of that Oversoul (God)" (Tenet 4). What is the main way this is seen in Thoreau's passage?
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He is saying if the government would actually be used against someone it would split like a wooden gun being fired.
In the 2nd paragraph, why does Thoreau compare government to a wooden gun?
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Overnight; his aunt paid off the tax for him.
How long did Thoreau spend in jail? How did he get out so quickly?
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Instead of following the natural tendency to do what everyone else does and just pay the poll tax, Thoreau goes against this and makes the choice to not pay the poll tax based on his personal beliefs.
How does Thoreau's actions show the transcendental tenet of self-reliance?
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Thoreau criticizes them for being hypocrites because they may say they don’t believe in slavery and the governments policies but yet they will still blindly follow the government instead of doing something themselves
Why does Thoreau criticize people on their lack of action against the unjust government?
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He refused for six years.
How long did Thoreau refuse to pay his poll tax?
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He is saying that you don't need a whole movement to make a change but that it can start from something as small as the changing of one honest man's opinion. "For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: What is once well done is done forever...." (Thoreau 238)
Tenet 19: "Reform must not be emphasized - true reform comes from within"
How does Thoreau show this belief in his point that only one honest man would need to go against the unjust system to make a change? |
He is talking about how if even only “one HONEST man” stood out against slavery that it would start a movement that would eventually end all slavery.
What is Thoreau talking about when he says “For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: What is once we’ll done is done forever....”?
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