Thoreau's article "Resistance to Civil Government," also known as "Civil Disobedience"

Argued for defying an unjust government, and it eventually served as an inspiration for figures like Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The title is a crucial component that must be taken into account and avoided misinterpretation. The original publication of this essay was titled "Resistance to Civil Government." Later, he uses the metaphor of the "resistance" in his title to equate the government to a machine.

"If the unfairness is part of the necessary friction of the machine of governance, let it go, let it go; perhaps it will wear smooth—certainly the machine will wear out," he adds because the system is producing injustice. "Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine," he says, extending the metaphor. The title of Thoreau's essay was changed to "Civil Disobedience" after his passing. In this essay, the term "civil" is used to refer to matters "related to citizens...show more content...

This writing style aims to persuade the audience that your arguments are superior to and more credible than those of others. The three categories for persuasion techniques are pathos, ethos, and logos. Thoreau does a great job of persuading his readers throughout his article by using these techniques.