English Unit 2

Find examples of loaded language in lines 1-15. To which emotions do these words appeal?

Tyranny, Triumph, Celestial, FREEDOM, "try men's souls", "Summer Soldier" These words aim to reignite the passion of revolution and to remind the men why they are fighting.

Understatement

used to make something appear less important or small

Irony

using words to convey the opposite meaning (more literal)

Parody

imitate techniques or style of a person

Reversal

to present something in the opposite way from the normal order

According to Paine in lines 101-120, what would happen if colonists acceded to Howe's demand to relinquish their arms? What does he want to persuade readers about in this passage?

Howe would not honor his word. The colonists would not be allowed to live their lives as they had. The rebellion will lead the British to crush any form of resistance, making the colonists lives even more restricted and suffocating than before. Paine wants the reader to sense the urgency of the moment. If any acquiesce to Howe's wishes, many will suffer at the hands of the British. They must form a united front and fight to win.

What persuasive and rhetorical techniques help convey this tone?

"With the warm ardor of friend"- inviting and speaks to all. He uses repetition, and portrays the situation as 'do or die.' Toward the end, the use of "cowardice" and referring to their children will influence many in his targeted audience.

Why does Thoreau believe that "a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it"?

A government where the majority rules will have no protection for minorities and thus people will lose their right to lose. If majority always ruled then there would be unhappiness from any who always side with the minority and the majority could impose any restrictions on the minority

A writer's tone is his or her attitude toward a subject. What is Paine's tone in lines 56-71?

He writes with urgency and invitation. He believes that all must join the fight and uses their children's futures as motivation.

At the end of the excerpt, Thoreau uses an analogy of an acorn and a chestnut to convey his point about human nature. Is this an effective way to communicate his message? Why or why not?

It is an effective method because it shows how he believes a person must struggle against a government in order to be free and live the way they want. The analogy is good because the two seeds struggling against each other is the same way he struggles against the government's control.

In lines 122-153, Thoreau argues that civil disobedience is an effective way of bringing about change. How convincing is this argument? Explain.

It is convincing because Thoreau offers a few real life examples and applies it to the people he is talking to. He tells public officers that to resign is the best way to peacefully protest government actions. He supports his argument by saying that a minority, while not the most powerful, can still hold power if it stands united.

In the civil rights movement, King and his followers refused to obey racial laws that they considered unjust. How does this strategy compare with his recommendation that young men in the US become conscientious objectors?

It is similar in nature. Much in the same way the civil rights movement refused to obey discriminatory laws on moral and ethical principle, King urges Americans to refuse military service on these same moral and ethical grounds.

What evidence does King offer to support his suggestion in line 123 that the US is not really acting to liberate the Vietnamese people?

King cites the fact that the American-backed Vietnam government is just as oppressive, if not more, and the war being fought there is wreaking havoc on the lives of the citizens -- all acts that are made worse by American presence, not better.

At the beginning of the speech, why does King explain his reasons for speaking out against the Vietnam War?

King does this to demonstrate that he is not politically or financially motivated, but rather that he is speaking out of earnest concern for the American well being and from a moral imperative.

Why does King try to help his audience understand the enemy's point of view in lines 202-272?

King does this to promote understanding of the situation. Rather than generally labelling mass groups of people as enemies or friendly or needy or evil, he tries to get his audience to consider why it is that those we call enemy are acting so.

Rhetorical questions are posed for effect, without any expectation of a reply. Explain the effect of this rhetorical device in lines 182-188 and lines 203-214.

These questions cause the reader to doubt the benevolence of the US in this matter -- are we really helping the people if we side with the landlords? Do we really have their best interests in mind if we blanket group them as enemies as with the VC?

In lines 319-334, King presented five specific steps that the US should take. How do these proposals relate to the preceding part of his argument?

They support his moral and philosophical claims with actionable suggestions. He claims that our military presence is making the lives of the citizens worse -- thus calls for a cease-fire. He claims that writing off the VC entirely makes matters worse, and as such he proposes we include them in negotiations for peace.

What reasons and evidence does Thoreau offer to justify his view that the people who truly serve the state are those who often resist it?

Thoreau uses the examples of Christ, Copernicus, Luther, Washington, and Franklin. Christ sought to help the people but they killed him. Washington and Franklin opposed the government and ended up constructing a different government which they then served. Luther sought to help the Catholic church, a government of sorts, by changing its ideologies and he ended up a fugitive. Thoreau also says that those who look for actively flaws and try to repair them help the government more than any other.

Satire

a literary technique used to ridicule or make fun of human voice

Hyperbole

exaggeration

Juvenalian

formal in which the speaker attacks vice and error with contempt realism and harshness

Juxtaposition

place something side by side for a comparison or contrast

incongruity

present things that are out of place or are absurd in relationship to its surroundings

Double Entendre

pun or a play on words

Sarcasm

self explainable

Horation

the speaker holds up to gentle ridicule the absurdities and follies of human being