Counter Friction

Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience is a famous and well-regarded example of effective rhetoric. In this essay, Thoreau used all three corners of the rhetorical triangle to outline what he saw as the problems with the government of the time, and with government in general, due to their inherent lack of respect for the individual, instead preferring to maintain the status quo of the whole, even with the cost being widespread injustice and corruption, which Thoreau opined were the chief products manufactured thereby. Governments are by their nature, according to Thoreau, generally more harmful than helpful, although he did profess a respect for the concept of government, and wished for a better government that does more to respect the rights of individuals and liberty as a whole. Specifically, Thoreau spoke about the Mexican-American War, poll taxes, slavery, and other laws that he saw as unjust. In regards to these topics specifically and government in general, Thoreau attempted to persuade his audience, which was comprised of students in Concord, Massachusetts, to his point of view with skillful use of the rhetorical triangle, which is to say through the careful application of both logical and emotional arguments, combined with ethos in the form of his academic reputation.

Thoreau's Use of the Rhetorical Triangle in 'Civil Disobedience'

From an in-class writing exercise on rhetoric from Honors Composition II:

Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience seeks to outline the problems with our current mode of government and with government in general due to their inherent lack of respect for the individual, instead preferring to maintain the status quo of the whole, even at the expense of injustice and corruption, which Thoreau opines are the chief products manufactured thereby. Governments are, according to Thoreau, generally more harmful than helpful, although he does profess a respect for the concept of government, and wishes for a better government that does more to respect the rights of individuals and liberty as a whole.

Trinity

In the early 1800’s, Ralph Waldo Emerson visited the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France and found himself entranced by what he saw there. Where his fellow patrons observed nature, Emerson perceived Nature. Where we notice only a majuscule letter, Emerson glimpsed God. This visit inspired his seminal essay Nature, in which Emerson expresses his thoughts on the relationship between Nature, Mankind, and God. Within this essay, Emerson famously pronounced, “The whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind” (17). In this, you can see Emerson beginning to define Nature in relation to Man, as an expansion to the standard definition. The standard definition of Nature, as viewed by both the common man and the Oxford English Dictionary, was anything in the physical world, including the “landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations” (Murray). That distinction, Nature as opposed to Man, is the essence of Emerson’s thoughts on Nature.

Me on Thoreau on Nature

From an in-class writing prompt in Honors Composition II:

Thoreau seems to see Nature as an infant see its mother; large and encompassing, a nurturing provider, and easy to take for granted. He describes Nature in almost religious terms, as an entity that is separate but still innate. His view is almost entirely non-scientific, with information gathered for the purpose of joy, rather than for critical analysis, which was the vogue at the time.

Thoreau views Nature by way of Man; his writing is a constant comparison of the two. While he sees Nature separately, he defines it in terms of Mankind; how it illuminates the character of Man, how it contrasts from Man, and what those things tell us about both Nature and Man.

Whitman & Thoreau

From an in-class writing exercise from Honors Composition II:

Both Thoreau and Whitman seem to share a firm belief in both the power and majesty of the world around us. They both seek to commune with Nature and to pay great attention to its infinite detail. Thoreau, however, seems to calmly accept the facets of Nature's visage that so disturb Whitman. To Thoreau, Nature seems to represent the very epitome of truth and honesty, whereas Whitman does not disdain to suspect or question Nature. Last, Thoreau sees himself as a part of the natural world, while Whitman views himself separately, with Nature as a frighteningly higher entity.

Counterbalance

Thoreau's "Economy" covers a great deal of material, with a focus on the search for self-actualization. According to Thoreau, this begins by determining the necessities of life, which cannot be found in the ordinary labor of men or the search for wealth and luxury in everyday life. Our socialization towards obtaining luxury crowds our lives and minds, leaving no room to question even the most basic premises of our existence or to enjoy the same. Thoreau questions humankind’s tendency to overshadow the minds of younger generations with trivia and tradition. This indoctrination teaches our youth to accept the values and beliefs of our older generations, without teaching them to examine the same or to require proof of any their claims. He believes age has no benefit over youth and points out that even ancient philosophers fell prey to this tendency, writing about the vagaries of nail length and forestry in addition to great works of thought. He disdains the purported wisdom of elders and relates the tale of a farmer, who spends his day staring at the evidence that disproves his long-held beliefs, without ever questioning them. Thoreau takes this as a sign that humankind would do better were we to look to the universe for counsel, rather than our elders and neighbors.

On Thoreau's 'Economy'

3 Things About Henry David Thoreau:
1. Never trust people who use three names.
2. Dude. This guy has a neckbeard.
3. Louisa May Alcott made jokes relating
Thoreau's neckbeard to his virginity. Haha!

From an in-class writing prompt in Honors Comp II:

In this excerpt, Thoreau recounts an attempt to order a particular style of coat from his tailoress, one that is both older and practical. He describes the cut of the coat, only to have his request denied. The tailoress seems confused by his request, and is certain in her belief that he could not possibly want something out of style. He eventually has to assure her that the style is returning, in order to obtain his desired style of coat.

This anecdote relates to his larger argument, which seems to be that people live by a large number of arbitrary rules, arrived at by a silent, unthinking consensus, which is ultimately beneficial to none. We would be happier, Thoreau seems to be saying, were we to examine these false notions, and live by our own informed choices. In short, if we chose to ‘live deliberately’.

Honors Comp Final Exam Essay: Paths to Salvation

Paths to Salvation

Jonathan Edwards and Billy Sunday were not born of the same time, place, or circumstance, but both men were deeply concerned with the concept of salvation. They each seemed to feel as though they walked through a world of unsaved souls, with false assurances of spiritual safety leading men astray. They each seemed to believe that salvation was of great concern, yet advocated different paths to their selfsame goal.

Honors Composition Essay #3: Argument

“Does Harvard make the man or does the man make Harvard?”

There exists a popular myth regarding Oklahoma’s charter schools. This myth states that charter schools take the most motivated parents away from traditional schools, and that these parents are the cause for the success of Oklahoma’s proliferate charter schools. This idea also implies that this action, if true, is detrimental to traditional schools. Children with motivated parents, charter school opponents say, will succeed no matter what school they attend. To follow this line of thought, if all of the motivated parents from three local schools moved to a single charter school, the community would be left with one successful charter school and three failing traditional schools. This myth states that rather than the school making the student, the parent makes the student, which in turn makes the school. This is fairly illogical.

Homework Panic. It's a Thing in the World.

Can I finish the last four pages of this five-page essay and analytically read two 18th century sermons in the next 1.5 hours? Let's find out in today's episode of 'Rose R Collig Stoodent'! Stay tuned for a commercial break from our sponsor, Red Bull...

Theater Critique #2: A Curious Mishap

“Oh, the stratagems of love!”

Carlo Goldoni's A Curious Mishap was a fantastic period comedy, relying on the common theme of mistaken identity, the machinations of love, and delightful wordplay to put the audience into a good humor. My initial skepticism (brought about by a recent less-than-stellar theater experience) was quickly overcome by the talented cast, all of whom have a penchant for pronunciation and whip-fast comedic timing, and the efforts of the unseen crew, which silently showed themselves in every aspect of the production.

Honors Comp Essay #2: Two Men, Two Sermons

Two Men, Two Sermons

"Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must have a kind of fire shut up in his bones." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Billy Sunday and Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t agree on many things, but on one topic, they were both clear; it was a dangerous time to be alive. Their world teemed with examples of sickness and moral confusion. In each man’s social strata crisis was at hand, and they both felt called to bring the solution to their people. Each man firmly believed that the salvation of both society and soul could be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, yet these seemingly parallel paths led to incredibly divergent destinations.

Theatre Critique #1: Manicures and Monuments

“How many toenails will it take to get to South Dakota?"

I think that Vicki Caroline Cheatwood’s Manicures and Monuments, put on by the local Blue Moon Productions, was intended to be tragicomedy, but I cannot say that with any authority. It is very hard to discern the intended effect from a play that seems almost schizophrenic in tone, switching from comedy to cynicism and from engaging supporting characters to stale supporting props in the time it took me to eat a slice of the fantastic lemon cake served during intermission, which was by far the best part of the entire experience. The audience, most of whom were quite a bit older than myself, seemed to take it as a series of humorous ‘There but the Grace of God’ vignettes, but if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that we were all supposed to go home and be grateful for our human connections, no matter where we find them. Either way, the quality of the play itself, combined with the mediocre talent of Blue Moon Productions, was not what I would call an enjoyable hour and a half.

Government Presentation #1: An Analysis of The Judiciary Branch, as Proposed in the Federalist #78-84

My notes and handout from my first presentation for my American Federal Government class.

Presentation Notes:

I'd like to begin with a very famous quote. It that appears nowhere within the Federalist, but is nevertheless present throughout.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

This statement encapsulates the entire basis of our Union. We have rights. The government exists to secure them. That's the point. Out of these branches, the Judiciary does the most to secure and promote those rights, because they provide 'equal justice under the law' to every citizen. (Except maybe Dred Scott.)

Honors Comp Essay #1: Profanity

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn… for the definition of profanity."

Current Definition:	Expanded Definition:
profanity 1: the quality or state of being profane 2: the utterance of profane language 3: profane language	profanity 1: the utterance of language that both attacks and offends 2: language that both attacks and offends

When we think of profanity, we think of a certain group of words that function as both as actual words and as expletive attributives. This definition is far removed from the original definition, which was simply anything that didn't belong to the Church. A medieval speaker might have referred to a profane building or a profane herd of sheep, whereas modern listeners would be confused by such usage. Along the way, the word evolved.