Custom «Resistance to Government and Bartleby The Scrivener» Essay Paper Sample

1. How is Henry David Thoreau's "Resistance to Government" a political work" a political work-how does living by his conscience put him in conflict with the policies of the United States?

Henry David Thoreau's work on the text "Resistance to Government" is a political work because his opinions and beliefs are based mainly on the American governments with regard to the actions and behaviors of the American leaders. These leaders are either loved or hated by the Americans because of either their individual's selfless or selfishness as well. In addition, Henry David though he was an author, he was also a political activist because his literary work on the Thoreau is political.

However, living by his conscious puts him in conflict with the American government because to the leaders he is a spy who has to be contained before they hear the worst from him. More also, his motto That government is best which governs least was a contrast to the American government therefore his call for the government to perform the least was unacceptable to the policies of the government and the citizens at large (Howe, 1990).

Furthermore, his saying that American government is a traditional government ruling with accordance to traditional ideologies of a single man is abusive. However, this statement is against the policies of the government of the United States since the president is the leader of the government and everybody else in the same government is liable to the commands of the president.

2. What does Bartleby represent in Herman Melville's story "Bartleby, The Scrivener"?

The character of Bartleby represents individuals who are reluctant to conforming to the environments in which other individuals are living without any problems. However, it is possible to read his characters sin various ways. Though, basing our perception to that of the author and limited details that the author has given in the story, the character he has is elusive, even as the story comes to the end (Melville, 2004).

However, in literary perception, his character can be read. In application of literary method he has a mental illness and that is why he cannot be comfortable in the environment in which other people are comfortable. More also, he has a behavior which is more like of those individuals who are imprisoned in harsh and oppressive societies thus it is hard for him to be socially active person.

In addition, the character of Bartleby also represents depressed individuals who are socially acceptable but their social feels demoralizes their willingness to fit in the social environments. In support of this point, we see him being pushed by other members of the society so that he can conform to the Wall Street society but he completely refused to conform even explaining his behaviors when he is asked to.

3. Examine how Hawthorne is entering into the Puritan mind. How is he creating an obscure allegory? How is the world he is creating a romance? How does he challenge or overturn the fixed associations of the Puritan worldview? How does Hawthorne reveal through "Young Goodman Brown" the importance of accepting a morally complex world?

The doctrines of puritan religion teaches that men are completely depraved and they requires constant self-examination so that they can realize that they are unworthy before God's Grace because of their sinners. In addition, believers of the puritan religion are seemed to be well aware of their negative aspects of humanity than the natural gifts each possesses. However, with this in mind, Hawthorne is able to enter into the puritan doctrines (Kállay, 2003).

The aspect of using a sinful main character creates an obscure allegory. The main character, Goodman Brown is initially married to a wife called Faith, who represents his spiritual faith. His marriage lasts until when he observed that many of his neighbors attend the Sabbath of witches which he did and as a result he divorced with his wife Faith and turned out to be a sinful man in the society. However, the author has created the world of romance whereby a human being either sinful or faithful is a marriage of a kind top good or to evil.

The author has overturned the worldview of puritans by emphasizing that believers of puritan religion recognize their humanity more that the gifts each individual is endowed with. However, the author tells that individual's faith is the reflection of the spirituality rather not the human nature. However, through Goodman Brown, Hawthorne reveals that the moral complex of the world ids the key determinate to the spirituality of an individual which is influential to the surroundings.