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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What direction did Thoreau say most men tended to walk in when given the chance?

2. What did Thoreau say all critics of Brown lacked?

3. How did Thoreau begin 'A Plea for Captain John Brown'?

4. What did Thoreau say most people were trying to do to nature?

5. What did Thoreau say his walking was a metaphor of?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Thoreau show his ideal relationship between man and nature?

2. Where did Thoreau say most men would walk if given the choice, and why?

3. What did Thoreau say were the dangers of cultivation in 'Walking'?

4. What did Thoreau say Nature would do for a walker?

5. What was Thoreau pleading for in 'A Plea for Captain John Brown'?

6. Why did Thoreau say some people thought Brown was insane?

7. What was Thoreau most critical of newspapers for in 'A Plea for Captain John Brown'?

8. How did Thoreau feel about the violence Brown used, and why?

9. How did Thoreau begin his speech about John Brown?

10. What animal did Thoreau compare himself to when walking, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Printing and newspapers were a major theme and device in this book. Where did they appear, and how were they used to send Thoreau's messages in a unique way?

Essay Topic 2

Irony was a strong theme in this book. What are some of the instances where irony was present, and how did these ironic events affect the characters involved in those sections?

Essay Topic 3

How did nature affect Thoreau, and how did Thoreau display his emphasis on the importance of nature in these essays?

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This section contains 620 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample