Christie C. “I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government.” — from “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau
Last night, I went to bed drained more than usual because—like you may be—I’m tired of living through historic events and crises every hour of the day. Ever since the pandemic, it seems as if some of the world has developed a sort of mass psychosis fueled by economic uncertainty, climate catastrophe, and addictive propaganda online.
As difficult as it has been for me, I’ve had to lay off of the news to regain mental footing. It’s important to remember your own humanity as well as the humanity of others during political turmoil, technological advances, and diminishing empathy. So, today I am discreetly cutting myself off from news articles and segments and picking up an old classic instead: “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau.
“I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion” — from “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau
“Civil Disobedience” is an iconic essay written by Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862) during his own act of civil disobedience in 1849. What is the act of Civil Disobedience? Civil Disobedience is the refusal to abide by certain laws as a form of protest, especially when citizens break the law to make a moral point.
Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disovedience” was written while he was in jail for not paying his taxes. He did this as a form of protest against slavery and the Mexican-American war. He argued that people must consult their conscience over government authority, and that nonviolent resistance can be an effective method against unjust laws and policies. His work was a major inspiration for modern leaders such as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Many “civil disobedience” situations come to mind: Harriet Tubman “broke the law” by smuggling enslaved Africans to safety in the north. Miep and Jan Gies “broke the law” by hiding Anne Frank and her family from Nazis during the Holocaust. Although rule of law is breaking down in the United States, many today are “breaking the law” by protesting the actions of ICE, our authoritarian regime, and the genocide in Gaza.
Crack downs on civil disobedience are almost always inflicted by the party that owns the most firepower. This eloquent and rich read reminds us of our civic duty toward humanitarianism during times of crisis.
High School and College Literature Is Scarily Relevant Today
I first read the essay “Civil Disobedience” in high school, then again in college during a unit that discussed the Naturalist movement. This was an artistic movement that emerged in the 1800s in response to romanticism and realism. Where romanticism emphasized an idealized world through rose colored lenses, naturalism sought to render depictions of the world through scientific, psychological, and sociological lenses. Think “expectation vs. reality.” Realism and Naturalism seem like they might be identical, but Realism is less critical, content in expressing life as it is as opposed to taking an explorative stance through analysis. Thus, realism often has elements of romanticism since it can leave out the realities of human struggles.
Naturalism explores poverty, illness, racism, and many everyday human challenges in the context of working class people and communities. It also explores human behavior as something that can be measured by heredity and environmental factors. Think nature vs. nurture. The themes within this artistic movement are often dark, but the philosophies can be thought provoking.
We all can take part in Civil Disobedience.
In the 2020s, such literature is quite relevant today since it breaks down the possible reasons for the poor quality of life humans endure. But, we also need literature to spark a reason to “keep calm and carry on.” Henry David Thorough was a Naturalist, but he was also a Transcendentalist, meaning he was also part of a movement that saw society overall and its institutions as corrupting forces that prevent people from living their ideal lives. Organized religion and political parties met the ire of his pen.
With that said, he does state in his essay, “I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government.” I wholeheartedly agree with this statement because governments can work for the good of people when its resources are directed to do so. Things we take for granted such as the maintenance of public lands and parks, seed banks, health inspectors, and free public school are all part of government (just to name a few).
If there is an important read to help us remember that we all have a role to do better as not just citizens, but also has human beings, it is definitely “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau.
