Michael L.

Move Beyond the Page, Analysis p23 - 24. 1, 5

 

p23 Q1. Many people today, especially in america, believe that voting is the most important thing a citizen can do. In fact, in some countries, citizens are fined if they do not vote. How do Thoreau’s view on voting differ from this?

 

Citizen will be fined if they do not vote, if this is the case. This causes the interference in democracy since voters cannot vote independently. However, people have the legal obligation to think of the future of their own country. Thoreau argues that people have the right to do what they think is right. It is the independence that people possess that can determine the future of their own. Which government should not interfere their independence and the freedom of the citizen.

 

p24 Q5. In paragraph 4 and 5, Thoreau creates lists of masses of men who serve the state. What is the effect of these lists? How do the list reinforce Thoreau’s belief that government turns men into mindless machines?

 

The effect of the list is to let people know how the people are being manipulated by the government. The people do things what the government expect them to do without any ethical consideration. Ordinary people are consider as a subject in the eyes from the government which implies they are no different from horses and dogs as described by Thoreau. The government just tell the people to do it and the people might have some feelings that go against it, but if its an order they’ll follow it so there wont be any disobedience in the society. People that are legislators, politicians, etc. are likely to serve the devil as they hardly make any ethical consideration as they aim for the prize or the final outcome that benefits them instead of their ethical behavior. This is because government encouraged people to serve the state the way the government wanted will have a higher recognition in the society, which it would alter their ethical behaviors. Making them focus on the prize and continue to be manipulated by the government.

 

 

They Say/I say p 29:2

 

Below is a template that we derived from the opening of David Zinczenkc's "Don't Blame the Eater" (p. 195). Use the template to structure a passage on a topic of your own choosing. Your first step here should be to find an idea that you support that others not only disagree with but actually find laughable (Of, as Zinczenko puts it, worthy of a Jay Leno monologue). You might write about one of the topics listed in the previous exercise (the environ- ment, sports, gender relations, the meaning of a book or movie) or any other topic that interests you.

 

If ever there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Lena monologue, this was it: a monologue that aims to entertain people, making people happy is the ultimate goal in life. Isn't that like living without fear but pure happiness? Whatever happened to the people that fear about letting go of the past in order to gain happiness? I happen to sympathize with the people that are negative perhaps because of I am a positive person?