Final answer:
The rhetorical device used in Henry David Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government" excerpt is parallelism. This technique emphasizes Thoreau's point about government inaction through repetition and symmetry in sentence structure.
option 'c' is the correct
Step-by-step explanation:
The rhetorical device used in the excerpt from Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Resistance to Civil Government” is parallelism. Parallelism is a literary technique where parts of the sentence are grammatically the same, or are similar in construction.
This can extend to either simple or complex structures and serves to provide symmetry and rhythm to the expression of a point. In the excerpt, Thoreau uses a series of negative statements (“It does not keep the country free.
It does not settle the West. It does not educate.”) to emphasize the government’s inaction or inadequacy in certain areas. Each of these statements begins with the same words and follows the same grammatical structure, which creates a pattern and rhythm that reinforces Thoreau's critique of the government.
The use of parallelism helps Thoreau to emphasize his belief that the government should not interfere with an individual's freedom.
This sentiment aligns with his well-known principle of “passive resistance,” a doctrine advocating for protest against the government through nonviolent means, which has inspired many influential figures, such as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. The excerpt showcases Thoreau’s skill in using rhetorical devices to articulate his ideas powerfully and persuasively, contributing to his lasting impact on literature and civil rights movements.