Thoreau anglais

« This text was written by Henry David Thoreau, who is a philosopher, writer and poet.

In his work called Disobedience civil he claims the idea of an individual resistance to a government ruled unfair.

By means of this idea, Thoreau is considered like the founder of the concept of nonviolence.

In his text, he wants to raise their consciousness by criticizing the american society.

How to break away from a slave-state? Thoreau gives a solution: a peaceable revolution.

Thoreau proceeds in several stages.

Firstly, he makes his own checkup of the society who jails his citizens, as many physically as psychologically.

For this reason, he calls on a new awakening, it's high time to rebel. I.

A criticism of the society. 1.

A criticism of the state and his government Thoreassures that the government is unfair because "he imprisons any injustly".

As for freer and less desponding spirits, the state rejects them.

In other words, two classes can be distinguished: that offree man, rejected by the state and that of enslaved men.

In this way, "the only house in a slave-state in which a free man can abide with honnor." There isn't place for free man, other than prison of state.

It's necessary to choose: to be a freeman but only and rejected or to be a slave within society.In the opinion of the author, it's in the area of undesiderables that the justice can be really applied, the place where victimes of society can meet.

"It's here that the fugitive slave, and the mexican prisoner a parole, and the indian come to plead the wrongs of his race, should find them." Here, there are numerous references: in fisrt time, the slave fugitif can be two persons: maybe he makes reference to the man who decides to be free, the one who is against the state and who, for this reason, was kept at bay.

But it's possible than Thoreau speaks about the real slavery.

Indeed, in 1846, he reproached state for support the slavery who reigned in the south.

The state of Massachussetts had outlawed slavery on its territory since 1780, but, It was not the case of the slave states of the South where men, women and children were bought and sold as of the cattle.

Afterwards, Thoreau speaks about Mexican prisonner, it's a reference to the Mexican war, lauched when american congess has voted the annexation of Texas in 1845.

It takes place from 1846 till 1848.

Finally, when Thoreau speaks about Indian man, he makes reference to the difficult history of the Amerindians.

Indeed, the problems between American and Amerindian have for cause the desire expansionist of thirteen british colonies in north america and the west conquest by colonists who search grounds and gold, what reinforce animosity between two populations.

Conflicts are the subject of retaliations (représailles), slaughters and pillaging.

The tension lead to war like seminoles war starting from 1817.

At the XIX century, amerindians are parked in reserves, their bisons are killed for their coat.

Indians find themselves bereft their grounds, but equally liberty of cult and the right to speak their own langage.

The author defends the personal freedom of each one and opposes to the imperialist politic of the state.

The state here seems deeply nasty, he's ready to sacrifice his citizens to serve his own interests : "If the alterntive is. »