Transcendentalists Open-Book Quiz
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Transcendentalists Open-Book Quiz Name ______Bowman—English 11 Date ______Period ______from Nature & from Self-Reliance
1. In Nature, Emerson uses many different visual images to state the Transcendentalist concept that nature and the human spirit are linked. Select one of these images and explain what he means.
______2. Do you agree with Emerson’s statement that “Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or mourning piece”? Explain what he means, and use details from Nature to agree or disagree with this idea.
______3. Emerson states in Self-Reliance that society values conformity above all else. Do you accept his statement, or do you find it inaccurate? Use details from the excerpt to support your response.
______from Walden and from Civil Disobedience
4. What does Thoreau mean when he writes, “a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone”?
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5. Thoreau states in Walden, “As long as possible live free and uncommitted.” Although he may seem to be making an analogy between a farm and a jail, he is speaking of larger issues. Explain what his analogy means, and evaluate his advice in light of your own experiences.
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6. As part of the construction of his argument for simplicity, Thoreau uses repetition to state both what people should do, and what they should avoid. Fill in the chart below listing four examples of each, using the text to assist you with details. Thoreau’s argument: Simplicity
What People Should Do What People Should Not Do 7. Thoreau presents his philosophy of government in Civil Disobedience. Which of the following statements best expresses his essential belief? (Highlight the best answer) a. There should be no government. b. Government is the tool of the most evil people in the country. c. Government can be effective in the area of trade. d. The less government there is, the better off the country will be.
8. Do you agree or disagree with his point or view? Explain.
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9. How do you think Thoreau might survive in Modern America? What might be his occupation, and how would he live? Use details from Walden and Civil Disobedience to support your opinion.
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10. Thoreau’s writings have often been used as sources for quotations. Fill in the chart by choosing four quotations from Walden or Civil Disobedience that could be used as mottoes. Then explain their meanings in a modern context.
Quotation Meaning 1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
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