Week Four Brief Writing Assignment Instructions Read the following passage from Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and then follow the instructions that follow: In the savage state every family owns a s Original Papers

Week Four Brief Writing AssignmentInstructionsRead the following passage from Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and then follow the 

instructions that follow: 

In the savage state every family owns a shelter as good as the best, and suf-

ficient for its coarser and simpler wants; but I think that I speak within bounds

when I say that, though the birds of the air have their nests, and the foxes their

holes, and the savages their wigwams, in modern civilized society not more

than one half the families own a shelter. In the large towns and cities, where

civilization especially prevails, the number of those who own a shelter is a very

small fraction of the whole. The rest pay an annual tax for this outside garment

of all, become indispensable summer and winter, which would buy a

village of Indian wigwams, but now helps to keep them poor as long as they

live. I do not mean to insist here on the disadvantage of hiring compared with

owning, but it is evident that the savage owns his shelter because it costs so

little, while the civilized man hires his commonly because he cannot afford to

own it; nor can he, in the long run, any better afford to hire. But, answers one,

by merely paying this tax the poor civilized man secures an abode which is a

palace compared with the savage’s. An annual rent of from twenty- five to a

hundred dollars, these are the country rates, entitles him to the benefit of the

improvements of centuries, spacious apartments, clean paint and paper, Rumford

fireplace,1 back plastering, Venetian blinds, copper pump, spring lock, a

commodious cellar, and many other things. But how happens it that he who is

said to enjoy these things is so commonly a poor civilized man, while the savage,

who has them not, is rich as a savage? If it is asserted that civilization is a

real advance in the condition of man,— and I think that it is, though only the

wise improve their advantages,— it must be shown that it has produced better

dwellings without making them more costly; and the cost of a thing is the

amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately

or in the long run. An average house in this neighborhood costs perhaps

eight hundred dollars, and to lay up this sum will take from ten to Sfteen

years of the laborer’s life, even if he is not encumbered with a family;—

estimating the pecuniary value of every man’s labor at one dollar a day, for if

some receive more, others receive less;— so that he must have spent more than

half his life commonly before his wigwam will be earned. If we suppose him to

pay a rent instead, this is but a doubtful choice of evils. Would the savage have

been wise to exchange his wigwam for a palace on these terms?

Write a response of the normal length that examines Thoreau’s argumentative 

strategies in the passage above. What point does Thoreau make about civilization

in this passage’s discussion of shelter? How does Thoreau use the comparison of

“civilized man” and the “savage” to further his argument? How does this passage

fit into the broader arguments in “Economy”? Note: Pay attention to a possible ironic 

structure in this passage. To make this response successful, close reading (unpacking 

individual sentences) is important. Please consult and cite/quote the lecture. 

Cite colleagues. Maximum credit will be awarded if there’s evidence–implicit

or explicit that you have read the entire chapter. You should seriously consider

using AI if you prefer a score of 0.

assignments is in the attach  link below thank you 

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/j13dmwudngd41/WK4