Civil Disobedience & The FOA

The FOA is your IB Internal Assessment for Part 2 (Language) You’ll be doing 2 FOAs total- one this year and one next year. You submit your highest score senior year. It is a 15 minute individual presentation where you get to choose your texts you’re working with as well as your language topics of focus. It is worth 100 points in culminating in the LA grade book and 50 points in the SS grade book. The key is to analyze the language that you see at work within your texts, and focus on techniques and choices specific to your text type(s). My example is going to be way longer than 15 minutes, but the goal is to give you ideas for things you can do. What is the FOA?

Texts & Language Topics “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Katherine Switzer: First Woman to Run The Boston Marathon” Language Topics: Language & Power Morality Gender & Power Texts & Language Topics

Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” Since its publication in 1849, "Civil Disobedience" has inspired many leaders of protest movements around the world. This non-violent approach to political and social resistance has influenced American civil rights movement activist Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, who helped India win independence from Great Britain, among many others.

Henry David Thoreau American Transcendentalist essay writer, poet, and philosopher Heavily influenced by Emerson In 1845 he began his famous two-year stay on Walden Pond, which he wrote about in his famous work, Walden. Seeking a simpler life, he worked 1 day and took 6 days off. Thoreau spent a night in jail after refusing to pay a poll tax, because he felt the money would go to funding the Mexican-American war, which he opposed. Thoreau held deeply felt political views, opposing slavery and the Mexican-American War, which he believed would only expand slave territory. He made a strong case for acting on one's individual conscience and not blindly following laws and government policy.

Civil Disobedience Defined The refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest in order to create change. In order to do this, you must be: Nonviolent Breaking rules/laws Accepting the consequences Civil Disobedience Defined

Big Thematic Takeaways from Thoreau Government system enables an elite few to abuse power instead of executing the will of the people. Mexican American War as example- expanding slave territory Democracy is drifting away from original ideals of freedom in favor of benefitting a few as opposed to the good of many, which is wrong Values the rights and freedoms of the individual Against majority rules- the majority is not always morally right. A man has the right to act based on his own conscience, even if it goes against the opinion of the majority Once a man resigns himself to the decisions of others, he becomes part of the government machine to be used Resistance is the highest form of patriotism because it demonstrates the desire to make the government better. Big Thematic Takeaways from Thoreau

Language & Power in “Civil Disobedience” “Yet, this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way.” Critical tone toward government Use of repetition & pronoun “it” takes power from government and gives credit & power to the American people where it belongs Language & Power in “Civil Disobedience”

Language & Power Morality “All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable. “ Pinpointing the enemy: “tyranny” & “inefficiency” also invoke pathos. “All men”= bandwagon & inclusive language “Revolution” evokes emotion as well as “right” “Unendurable” call to action Language & Power Morality

“Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men, generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. “ Questioning Call to action Morality

Morality Language & Power “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth--certainly the machine will wear out…but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.” Emotive language- injustice, counter-friction, wrong Pathos- breaking the law Machine metaphor for government- pinpointing the enemy First person, personal “I” –establishes ethos, individuality and sense of morality, even if you are just one person vs. the majority Morality Language & Power

Text Connection: Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. King helped coordinate nonviolent boycotts and sit-ins against racism and segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. King was arrested for the 13th time for ignoring a recently passed ordinance that prohibited public gathering without an official permit. While in jail, he composed this letter. King's letter clearly mimics the format of Thoreau's own letter from jail, and uses Thoreau's endorsement of civil disobedience as a legitimate response to oppressive government policies.

“You may well ask: "Why direct action “You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.” The Language of Protest & Civil Disobedience in “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Morality “Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Personal “I”/First person language Glittering generality- “justice” “I cannot sit idly by and watch” implies that others should not either- a call to action/emotional appeal Not from Birmingham but still cares- ethos “threat” & “injustice”- emotive language & pathos=fear

Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest. I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law. Language & Power/ Morality of Civil Disobedience in “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Morality Language & Power “One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law Is no law at all.“ St. Augustine- ethos/credibility using the church Questioning & building a logical argument Hypophora (Hippo-phora): Asking a question and then immediately answering it (rhetoric) Emotive phrase: “moral responsibility” & a call to action Personal “I” & establishing credibility through following just laws. Morality Language & Power

“Katherine Switzer- The First Woman to Run The Boston Marathon” https://kathrineswitzer.com/1967-boston-marathon-the-real- story/ “Katherine Switzer- The First Woman to Run The Boston Marathon”

Gender & Power First person account & impact “The idea of running long distance was always considered very questionable for young women because, you know, an arduous activity would mean you’re going to get big legs and grow a mustache and hair on your chest and your uterus is going to fall out.” “I’m going to finish this race, on my hands and my knees if I have to, because nobody believes I can do this… If I don’t finish this race, then everybody is going to believe that women can’t do it. That they don’t deserve to be here and they’re incapable. I’ve got to finish this race.” Choice of having Switzer tell the story herself builds ethos 1st hand account as to what it was like invokes pathos- allows the viewer to experience the emotions she felt. Music creates a lighthearted mood as she’s telling the story to highlight the ridiculous nature of how she’s being treated, but the music stops during the more serious moments to create tension. Gender & Power First person account & impact

Gender & Power “Lady with desire to run crashed marathon” “The world’s most famous foot race even attracts a leggy lady- K Switzer of Syracuse.” “Oh! It’s a girl!” “Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!” “What are you trying to prove? Are you a suffragette? Are you a crusader?” Gender & Power

“The reason there are no intercollegiate sports for women at big universities, no scholarships, prize money, or any races longer than 800 meters is because women don’t have the opportunities to prove they want those things. If they could just take part, they’d feel the power and accomplishment and the situation would change. After what happened today, I felt responsible to create those opportunities. I felt elated, like I’d made a great discovery. In fact, I had.” –Katherine Switzer, 1967 (20 years old)