How does Thoreau weigh his imprisonment?
Civil Disobedience is a notable literary work by Henry David Thoreau. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Civil Disobedience.
Answer
How does Thoreau weigh his imprisonment? [2016]
Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) viewed his night in jail as a moral test, not a punishment. In “Civil Disobedience” (1849), he describes the event calmly and thoughtfully. His imprisonment helped him understand the real nature of government, justice, and freedom.
Calm Acceptance: Thoreau was jailed for refusing to pay the poll tax that supported slavery and war. Yet he did not feel guilty or afraid. He wrote,
“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.”
For him, prison was a badge of honor, not shame.
Discovery of True Freedom: Inside the cell, Thoreau felt freer than his townsmen outside. The State could punish his body but not his spirit. He said,
“I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion.”
The thick prison walls only showed him how weak the State really was. Its power reached the body, never the mind.
Criticism of the State: Thoreau realized that the government is “half-witted” and “timid.” It does not know its friends from its foes. He pitied it for depending on force instead of reason. His imprisonment revealed that the State fights ideas with chains, not with truth.
New Vision of Society: When Thoreau came out of prison, he looked at his community with new eyes. He saw people’s fear, hypocrisy, and blind obedience. They did not greatly propose to do right. This experience made him feel separate from them, yet stronger in conviction.
In short, Thoreau weighed his imprisonment as a moral victory. Jail freed his soul from the government’s power. It taught him that conscience stands above law, and that true liberty lives in moral courage, not physical comfort.