Emerson writes, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” What central claim does this line make?

What does Emerson mean by “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind”?

Thoreau says, “It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.” What is his central claim?

Thoreau writes, “If the law...requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.” What principle is he defending?

Emerson calls “a foolish consistency” the “hobgoblin of little minds.” What is he claiming?

In “Civil Disobedience,” why does Thoreau say prison may be “the true place for a just man”?

Emerson urges the reader to trust himself; Thoreau refuses to pay a tax and accepts jail. What does the pair show?

How do Emerson’s attack on conformity and Thoreau’s attack on majority rule overlap?

Which comparison best explains the scope of the two essays?

Emerson’s essay is broad and aphoristic; Thoreau includes his tax refusal and night in jail. What craft difference does this show?

Thoreau’s essay grows out of a specific political protest, while Emerson’s does not answer any one event. What was Thoreau protesting when he refused to pay his poll tax?

Emerson compares society to a “joint-stock company.” What does this metaphor argue?

In “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string,” what does the metaphor of the “iron string” suggest?

Thoreau says, “Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.” What does the machine metaphor represent?

Thoreau asks, “Must the citizen ever for a moment...resign his conscience to the legislator?” What rhetorical strategy is this?

Thoreau calls voting “a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge.” What is the effect of this simile?

How does Thoreau reason from “unjust laws exist” to civil disobedience?

How does Emerson build his argument against conformity?

Thoreau claims that if one honest man in Massachusetts withdrew from supporting slavery and was jailed for it, “it would be the abolition of slavery in America.” What reasoning lies behind this claim?

Emerson answers the fear of being misunderstood by naming Pythagoras, Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton. What point does the list make?

Thoreau notes that a majority may be powerful, not necessarily right. What conclusion does he draw from that distinction?

A student refuses to sign a pledge she believes is unjust and accepts detention. Which passage’s principle does this follow most closely?

A writer changes her public position after new evidence, though people call her inconsistent. Which Emerson idea supports her choice?

Which action best follows Emerson’s principle in “Self-Reliance”?

A citizen votes against an unjust policy, then organizes, speaks, and accepts personal risk to oppose it. Which Thoreau idea does this apply?