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Week Four Brief Writing Assignment Instructions Read the following passage from Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and then follow the instructions that follow: In the savage state every family owns a s
Week Four Brief Writing AssignmentInstructionsRead the following passage from Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and then follow the
instructions that follow:
In the savage state every family owns a shelter as good as the best, and suf-
ficient for its coarser and simpler wants; but I think that I speak within bounds
when I say that, though the birds of the air have their nests, and the foxes their
holes, and the savages their wigwams, in modern civilized society not more
than one half the families own a shelter. In the large towns and cities, where
civilization especially prevails, the number of those who own a shelter is a very
small fraction of the whole. The rest pay an annual tax for this outside garment
of all, become indispensable summer and winter, which would buy a
village of Indian wigwams, but now helps to keep them poor as long as they
live. I do not mean to insist here on the disadvantage of hiring compared with
owning, but it is evident that the savage owns his shelter because it costs so
little, while the civilized man hires his commonly because he cannot afford to
own it; nor can he, in the long run, any better afford to hire. But, answers one,
by merely paying this tax the poor civilized man secures an abode which is a
palace compared with the savage’s. An annual rent of from twenty- five to a
hundred dollars, these are the country rates, entitles him to the benefit of the
improvements of centuries, spacious apartments, clean paint and paper, Rumford
fireplace,1 back plastering, Venetian blinds, copper pump, spring lock, a
commodious cellar, and many other things. But how happens it that he who is
said to enjoy these things is so commonly a poor civilized man, while the savage,
who has them not, is rich as a savage? If it is asserted that civilization is a
real advance in the condition of man,— and I think that it is, though only the
wise improve their advantages,— it must be shown that it has produced better
dwellings without making them more costly; and the cost of a thing is the
amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately
or in the long run. An average house in this neighborhood costs perhaps
eight hundred dollars, and to lay up this sum will take from ten to Sfteen
years of the laborer’s life, even if he is not encumbered with a family;—
estimating the pecuniary value of every man’s labor at one dollar a day, for if
some receive more, others receive less;— so that he must have spent more than
half his life commonly before his wigwam will be earned. If we suppose him to
pay a rent instead, this is but a doubtful choice of evils. Would the savage have
been wise to exchange his wigwam for a palace on these terms?
Write a response of the normal length that examines Thoreau's argumentative
strategies in the passage above. What point does Thoreau make about civilization
in this passage's discussion of shelter? How does Thoreau use the comparison of
"civilized man" and the "savage" to further his argument? How does this passage
fit into the broader arguments in "Economy"? Note: Pay attention to a possible ironic
structure in this passage. To make this response successful, close reading (unpacking
individual sentences) is important. Please consult and cite/quote the lecture.
Cite colleagues. Maximum credit will be awarded if there's evidence--implicit
or explicit that you have read the entire chapter. You should seriously consider
using AI if you prefer a score of 0.
assignments is in the attach link below thank you
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