Civil Disobedience By Ishmael Beah: A Comparative Analysis

The real purpose of government has always been a debatable topic. Henry David Thoreau’s opinion of government in “Civil Disobedience” is that the best government is no government and if there is a government, they should just be for looks. “I heartily accept the motto, “that government is best which governs least”; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically.”(Thoreau, 1) Ishmael Beah’s opinion of government is one in which the government should protect the people and keep peace among them. Beah experiences a form of government in A Long Way Gone that is very military based and that has been corrupted. While some similarities between “Civil Disobedience” and A Long Way Gone are evident, the differences are striking. Rebellion is a big difference between the two writings. Thoreau wants a world without government and wants to achieve that with peaceful rebellion. “It will not be worth the while to accumulate property; that would be sure to go again. You must hire or squat somewhere, and raise but
Thoreau has very good points and sounds like a very smart and educated man, but does not know much about actual rebellion which is why he speaks from theory. Thoreau has never experienced true rebellion and been a part of a war. Beah has. He speaks of experience and memories of being in the war as a child soldier. A Long Way Gone is the perfect example of a war memoir. It gives the reader a look at what a real rebellion war is like. “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau is about how to get to a rebellion. A Long Way Gone by Beah is about what to do after the rebellion has begun. Beah is a better source to look at and rely on about rebellion than Thoreau. All in all, there were several differences between A Long Way Gone and “Civil Disobedience.” Thoreau’s ideas are based on theory. Beah’s ideas are from