Favorite Quote: 'I would rather have the smallpox, yellow fever, and cholera, all together in my camp, than a man without principle...Give me men of good principles, — God-fearing men, men who respect themselves, and with a dozen of them I will oppose any hundred such men as these Buford ruffians.'
Here's my question: It comes from this quote: 'He was never able to find more than a score or so of recruits whom he would accept, and only about a dozen, among them his sons, in whom he had perfect faith.' How do we find our own 'dozen of recruits' that we have perfect faith in? How can we have perfect faith in others? How can they have perfect faith in us?
Mine sorta goes along with John's: "Sure enough a hero in the midst of us cowards is always so dreaded. He is just that thing." Page 730. What makes cowards dread heroes? What makes people love heroes? In what ways was John Brown a hero and in what ways was he not?
"When the time came, few men were found willing to lay down their lives in defense of what they knew to be wrong; they did not like that this should be their last act in this world." Would they, then, have been willing to lay down their lives for what they knew to be right? What's the difference between laying down your life for what you know to be wrong, or laying down your life for what you know to be right? Do you see what I'm saying? :p
"Do your work, and finish it. If you know how to begin, you will know when to end. These men, in teaching us how to die, have at the same time taught us how to live."
This one jumped out at me more than anything I read. But my question is, why does he connect death with really living? What can we learn from John Brown about living to the fullest? And my last one, what makes something worth both living, and dying for?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere's my question:
ReplyDeleteHow can we be more like Captain John Brown in our current society?
Favorite Quote: 'I would rather have the smallpox, yellow fever, and cholera, all together in my camp, than a man without principle...Give me men of good principles, — God-fearing men, men who respect themselves, and with a dozen of them I will oppose any hundred such men as these Buford ruffians.'
ReplyDeleteHere's my question: It comes from this quote: 'He was never able to find more than a score or so of recruits whom he would accept, and only about a dozen, among them his sons, in whom he had perfect faith.' How do we find our own 'dozen of recruits' that we have perfect faith in? How can we have perfect faith in others? How can they have perfect faith in us?
Was Thoreau and other writers right to make Brown into a hero? Do you think what he did was considered an act of terrorism?
ReplyDeleteMine sorta goes along with John's: "Sure enough a hero in the midst of us cowards is always so dreaded. He is just that thing." Page 730. What makes cowards dread heroes? What makes people love heroes? In what ways was John Brown a hero and in what ways was he not?
ReplyDelete"When the time came, few men were found willing to lay down their lives in defense of what they knew to be wrong; they did not like that this should be their last act in this world." Would they, then, have been willing to lay down their lives for what they knew to be right? What's the difference between laying down your life for what you know to be wrong, or laying down your life for what you know to be right? Do you see what I'm saying? :p
ReplyDelete"Do your work, and finish it. If you know how to begin, you will know when to end. These men, in teaching us how to die, have at the same time taught us how to live."
ReplyDeleteThis one jumped out at me more than anything I read. But my question is, why does he connect death with really living? What can we learn from John Brown about living to the fullest? And my last one, what makes something worth both living, and dying for?