Question

question 5 of 10
what does henry david thoreau mean by the following metaphor?
a common and natural result of an undue respect for the
law is, that you may see a file of soldiers... who have no
doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are
concerned; they are all peaceably inclined. now, what are
they? men at all? or small movable forts and magazines, at
the service of some unscrupulous man in power?
a. that soldiers are not treated as individual men by the government,
but as disposable weapons
b. that the armys soldiers need better protection and artillery than
what the government provides
c. that the governments army is composed of men who do not care
if we win or lose a war
d. that soldiers who refuse to fight are not only enemies of the state,
but also unscrupulous men

Explanation:

Thoreau uses the metaphor of "small movable forts and magazines" to suggest that soldiers are dehumanized. They are seen as tools (like forts and magazines, which are inanimate military resources) at the service of those in power, rather than as individual men with their own wills and identities. Option A aligns with this dehumanization metaphor. Option B is about protection and artillery which is not the focus of the metaphor. Option C about not caring about war's outcome is not indicated. Option D misinterprets the "unscrupulous man in power" part - the metaphor is about soldiers' dehumanization, not about soldiers who refuse to fight.

Answer:

A. That soldiers are not treated as individual men by the government, but as disposable weapons