Civil Disobedience

Thoreau writes in Civil Disobedience, "I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward...The only obligation which I have a right to assume, is to do at any time what I think right..." (250).

Do you agree with Thoreau? Do we have an obligation to disobey the law if we don't agree with it, and are the consequences worth the fight?

Into the Wild

Would Emerson and Thoreau find Chris McCandless to be a worthy transcendentalist? Why or why not? Please cite at least one passage from your transcendentalist reading in your response ("Nature," "Walden," or "Self-Reliance"). Do you think his actions were noble? Foolish? Is there anything to be admired or reprehended in Chris McCandless? Be sure to read the other blogs before posting your response so that you avoid repetition and so that you can comment on others' posts.

Drawing Electricity from the Sky

Examine Benjamin West's painting, Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky (1805). You may access this painting via the following link: http://www.frankelec.com/west_fullsize.htm. You can also find the painting on page 87 of your yellow American Literature book. After spending a few moments with the painting, please respond to one or more of the following questions:

1. What do you think the artist is trying to achieve in this painting? Consider the sometimes clashing roles of science and religion and how they function in this painting.
2. What are your reactions to the elements of this painting? Do you think science and religion can work side by side? Does one dominate the other?
3. What do you think Benjamin Franklin thought of this portrait of himself?

The ALIS Doctor Is In!

Please post your thesis statement here. Don't get too attached to it--we shall tear it apart tomorrow in class (gently and constructively).