AnswersELA11 ELA 11 Sem 1 26-27Ralph Waldo Emerson

Henry David Thoreau - "Civil Disobedience" Answers

10 verified answers2 views
1
Free Preview

Based on evidence of his personality in "Civil Disobedience," what effect would a longer jail stay most likely have had on Thoreau?

A
It would have made him doubt himself.
B
It would have encouraged him to engage in other crimes.
C
It would have hardened his resolve to assert his rights.
D
It would have caused him to pay the poll tax.
2
Free Preview

Based on Thoreau’s beliefs and "Civil Disobedience," he most likely decided not to pay poll tax because

A
he could not afford to pay taxes.
B
he disagreed with the idea of it.
C
he did not understand the law.
D
he wanted to experience prison.
3

Based on Thoreau’s opinion about the Mexican-American War and slavery in the United States, why did he most likely refuse to pay the poll taxes, as described in "Civil Disobedience"?

A
He desired to learn more about the government.
B
He wanted to expose fraud in the government.
C
He supported the government’s position.
D
He disagreed with the government’s actions.
4

What does "Civil Disobedience" suggest about the jailer’s opinion of Thoreau's arrest for tax evasion?

A
Tax evasion was not a serious offense.
B
They expected Thoreau to be released quickly.
C
Thoreau deserved to lose his freedom.
D
Tax evasion was one of the more grave crimes one could commit.
5

In "Civil Disobedience," what is Thoreau’s last thought about the state before he loses respect for it?

A
He finds the state’s industrious locking of the cell door amusing.
B
He thinks the state can’t tell its friends from its enemies.
C
He thinks the state is half-witted.
D
He finds the state unforgivably timid.
6

Read the excerpt from a letter Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote while imprisoned in Birmingham Jail in 1963. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.Based on his behavior in "Civil Disobedience," how would Thoreau most likely feel about King’s statement?

A
He would believe that his reasons and King’s reasons for protest were completely unrelated.
B
He would disagree with King’s belief that one must accept the penalty for political protest.
C
He would believe that King did not understand the nature of political protest.
D
He would agree with King that one should engage in political protest peacefully.
7

Based on "Civil Disobedience," what statement did Thoreau, like his modern-day successors, hope to make with his imprisonment?

A
He wanted to show the great unfairness of the prison system.
B
He wanted to prove himself as a martyr for his cause.
C
He wanted to suggest that one should be willing to go to great lengths for a belief.
D
He wanted to suggest that imprisonment was the only valid form of political protest.
8

In "Civil Disobedience," what does Thoreau think about right after he wonders if he could have been of service to his community?

A
whether everyone in the town is half-witted and dull
B
the significance of the wall between himself and others
C
that imprisoning him would not solve the problem
D
that he is truly the only person in the town to pay a tax
9

Considering "Civil Disobedience," why did both Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. engage in acts of civil disobedience?

A
to take a stand against government taxation
B
to protest government policies they believed were unjust
C
to protest slavery and the Mexican-American War
D
to take a stand against unfair laws in the 1950s and ‘60s
10

Which best describes one way in which "Civil Disobedience" impacted people and events later in history?

A
It fortified the beliefs of those who thought the government acted unfairly.
B
It made readers want to immediately engage in protests.
C
It gave readers an insight into Thoreau’s life.
D
It acted as a catalyst for rapid political change.

Did you find these answers helpful?

More from this Course

Quiz
10 verified answers

An Inner Story of the Civil War

Quiz
10 verified answers

The Mississippi River Runaways

Quiz
10 verified answers

Early Stream of Consciousness and Feminism in Fiction