“The Duty of Civil Disobedience” Henry David Thoreau
AP Lang. and Comp.
Socratic Discussion Questions—Come to class prepared with answers to these questions. Prepare notes.
I will collect the notes and you will use them to participate in a discussion.
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From a rhetorical standpoint, what makes Thoreau’s speech effective—what strategies and appeals
emphasize his points or make his argument convincing?
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Identify the key features of Thoreau’s writing style (his sentence structure, diction, tone, use of
figurative language). Which do you like and which frustrated you?
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What, from your own analysis, is Thoreau’s MAIN point?
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With which arguments of Thoreau do you agree?
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With which arguments do you disagree?
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What don’t you “get”?
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How can we connect Thoreau’s comments to our world, political and personal, today? Is this document
important? Relevant?