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LITR 4232: American Renaissance  |
Final Exam Essays 2013 Sample answers for Mid-length essay on 1 or 2 terms or subjects: Civil Disobedience / Passive Resistance |
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Gabriel Lopez
A2.
Civil
Disobedience in the American Renaissance
Civil Disobedience is a popular theme
of American renaissance literature. Though it has it’s foundations in the bible
Henry David Thoreau’s
Resistance to Civil Government 1849
is a primary text in reference to the American renaissance. Thoreau wrote the
text at a time of political turmoil in the United States. Because of the heated
debate on slavery and the U.S.’s war with Mexico, Thoreau wanted to remind the
people that its government does not exist for itself but for its citizens.
The main theme of civil disobedience is the recognition of a
higher law, thus measuring earthly laws by the heavenly ones. In paragraph five
Thoreau writes “Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree,
resign his conscience to the legislator?” Thoreau is pointing to his audience
that politics should never override moral and natural laws. Because of this he
states “All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse
allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its
inefficiency are great and unendurable.” (9). Thoreau wanted people to see that
they have the responsibility and the right to challenge their government.
Thoreau goes on to state “Unjust laws exist: shall we be
content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we
have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” (14), and “But even
suppose blood shed when the conscience is wounded? Through this wound a man’s
real manhood and immortality flow out, and he bleeds to an everlasting death. I
see this blood flowing now.” (19). These themes are the cornerstone of Thoreau’s
essay and Civil Disobedience as a whole.
A novel of the American renaissance
where the theme of Civil disobedience is greatly present is Harriet Beecher
Stowe’s
Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel was written for
and set of the time of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the very sort of law that
Thoreau would very willing break with Civil Disobedience. The novel therefore
contains a plethora of Civil Disobedience. One instance for example is in
chapter nine when a Mrs. Bird tells her husband (a standing senator who has just
voted to approve the Slave Act “Now, John, I don’t know anything about politics,
but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the
naked, and comfort the desolate; and that Bible I mean to follow” (9.25). In the
novel the senator does in fact open up his doors when the runaway slave Eliza
shows up on his doorstep.
Another classic excerpt of Civil Disobedience occurs in
Chapter 40 with Tom’s death. When asked of Cassy and Emmeline’s whereabouts
Stowe writes that Tom “knew all the plan of the fugitives escape, and the place
of their present concealment;-he knew the deadly character of the man he had to
deal with, and his despotic power. But he felt strong in God to meet death,
rather than betray the helpless” (40.28). This sort of devotion would make
Thoreau proud. Asked a final time Tom states “I know, Mas’r; but I can’t tell
anything. I can die” (40.41). Though time is not physically fighting back he is
unwilling to yield to his master, this is Civil Disobeidence. After Tom’s master
Legree is unable to locate his runaways he decides to kill Tom out of anger.
Tom’s great line to Legree is O, Mas’r! don’t bring this great sin on your soul!
It will hurt you more than’t will me! Do the worse you can, my troubles’ll be
over soon; but, if ye don’t repent, yours won’t never end!” (40.43). Tom is
again not backing down but also appealing to a higher. The theme of Civil
Disobedience sometimes goes hand and hand with transcendence and this novel is
one perfect example.
1865 flag of the USA