In "Civil Disobedience," Henry David Thoreau argues that individuals of good conscience should actively face unreasonable government policies through nonviolent means, such as denying to pay taxes. Thoreau also argues that they should even be eager to go to jail rather than allowing immoral or unethical government laws and activities to take place.
Thoreau uses several different rhetorical techniques throughout his work in Civil Disobedience. For instance, just in describing his experience in prison, Thoreau includes a strong use of pathos, imagery and symbolism. These various rhetorical techniques contribute in persuading his audience that it is "not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize." The use of pathos is evident in Thoreau's writing, especially when he is speaking about his time in jail. He appeals to emotion and tries to lure sympathy from the audience by talking about his interesting experiences while being there and by how unjust the government is. A great example of Thoreau using pathos is when he is talking about why his cell mate was in jail. In his text, he asks his fellow prisoner why he was in; the prisoner states, "they accuse me of burning a barn; but I never done it." This quote not only makes the government seem that they're unfair, but also when he states that he has been waiting for his trial for around three months, and will most likely have to wait that same amount of time before he actually receives his trial. How Thoreau describes this gives the impression that an innocent man is waiting half of a year just to try and prove his innocence while having to wait in jail. This inevitably draws sympathy from the audience.
Throughout his writing of the jail, multiple examples of imagery are utilized. Such examples include: "he showed me where to hang my hat.The rooms were whitewashed once a month." Thoreau uses this imagery to help explain the setting in his prison cell which hints to the audience that his sentence really isn't all that terrible.