Exploring all the indie bookstores in Massachusetts has meant an ever-growing TBR pile. When we recently visited The Thoreau Society Bookshop in Concord, I couldn’t leave without some of their namesake’s writing. Because I already owned much of it, I opted for a collection he features in. I settled on Essays on Civil Disobedience.

Summary:

This text features eleven great minds, spread over two hundred years, all speaking on the same topic. They called it by different names. Some called it “non-resistance” or “noncooperation.” Gandhi called it “Satyagraha,” and Henry David Thoreau called it “civil disobedience.” No matter what they called it, their intent was the same. They all wished to enact radical change without violence. Rather, they seek to prevent all violence under its broadest definition. The essays are arranged in order of chronology, and the included writers are: William Lloyd Garrison, Adin Ballou, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Bertrand Russell, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.

My Thoughts:

This was not a light text, but it was enlightening. The writers come from far-flung time periods and parts of the world. Their cultural influences are wildly different. Still, they are all convinced of the same path toward the future and are striving to follow it. This particular collection is focused on defining what civil disobedience is and the reasonings for it. Other texts (even those including some of these same writers) will dive much deeper into instructions for practice. This one serves well as an introduction to the multi-faceted concept.

What struck me was the large difference in motivations between the writers, though they all reach the same conclusions. They are willing to put their own comfort and even safety at risk rather than cause harm to another. Many cite their devotion to their religions, though they do not share a singular faith. One may see the path of nonviolence as a ticket to an eternal afterlife at the side of their deity. Another may see themself as only a small piece of something greater, and are happy to sacrifice for the good of the whole.

The personalities conveyed with each voice are as varied as their backgrounds are. Likewise, the conflicts they face are new each time. However, if all of these individuals were able to read this collection, I think most would believe the challenges they faced were each pieces of a single, much larger endeavor. All are seeking to promote equality between human beings. It’s a struggle that continues on.

A few of these essays can be difficult to read. In a couple cases, that’s due to antiquated language that is either cumbersome to decipher or by today’s standards offensive. There are also instances of slurs used for effect (i.e. Martin Luther King Jr. making use of a word that I as a white lady will simply call “the N word”). Essays mention specific details of hate crimes and the victims thereof. The attitudes of the perpetrators may be more recognizable in today’s society than we’d like. Your heart will feel heavy during some moments. Nevertheless, you will know why each of these people was called to stand and proclaim as they did. You may even feel encouraged enough to stand with them.

Content Warnings: Slavery, War, Oppression, Classism, Imprisonment, Slurs, Descriptions of Violence & Injuries, Hate Crimes

After I Finished Essays on Civil Disobedience

Although Essays on Civil Disobedience is not a large book, it is a rather heavy one. When I finished it, I felt in need of a lighter read. I had a novella on my shelf that I knew would fit the bill perfectly. It was a story of the Lowell mill girls and their strikes, with a twist of witchcraft. In other words, it was perfectly up my alley.

My next review will be for The Factory Witches of Lowell by C.S. Malerich.