The Battle of the Ants Flashcards
by Henry David Thoreau — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Battle of the Ants
Where does Thoreau first discover the ant battle?
At his wood-pile (pile of stumps) near his cabin at Walden Pond.
What two species of ants are fighting in the battle?
Red ants and black ants, with the black ants being nearly twice the size of the red.
What does Thoreau observe about the typical combat pairing between red and black ants?
Frequently two red ants are pitted against one black ant, compensating for the black ants' larger size.
What does the single red ant do when he arrives at the battle between the two locked combatants?
He springs upon the black warrior and attacks the root of his right fore leg, creating a trio locked together for life.
What does Thoreau do with the chip holding the three struggling ants?
He carries it into his house and places it under a tumbler on his window-sill to observe the outcome.
What is the outcome of the fight Thoreau observes under the tumbler?
The black ant severs the heads of both red ants, but is left severely maimed -- without feelers, missing legs, and covered in wounds.
What happens to the black ant after it wins the fight?
It crawls off over the window-sill in a crippled state; Thoreau never learns whether it ultimately survived.
Does Thoreau ever learn which side won the overall war or its cause?
No. He says he never learned which party was victorious, nor the cause of the war.
How does Thoreau characterize the red ants and black ants in political terms?
He calls the red ants 'red republicans' and the black ants 'black imperialists.'
To which Greek hero does Thoreau compare the single red ant who joins the fight?
Achilles -- suggesting he had 'nourished his wrath apart' and came to avenge or rescue his Patroclus.
What detail about the smaller red ant's condition does the microscope reveal?
His breast is torn completely away, exposing his vitals, yet he continues gnawing at the black ant's leg with fierce determination.
What is the implied battle cry Thoreau assigns to the ants?
'Conquer or die' -- emphasizing that neither side shows any disposition to retreat.
How does Thoreau use the ant battle to satirize human warfare?
By describing the ants in the elevated language of epic warfare and comparing them favorably to human soldiers, he exposes the absurdity and brutality common to both.
How does Thoreau express the theme of war's futility in the essay?
The battle produces no clear victor, no known cause, and leaves survivors horribly maimed -- suggesting war's costs far outweigh any purpose.
What does Thoreau mean when he says 'The more you think of it, the less the difference'?
He argues there is no meaningful difference between the ants' battle and human warfare -- both involve the same ferocity, patriotism, and senseless carnage.
How does the essay reflect Thoreau's view of nature as a mirror for human civilization?
By finding epic warfare, heroism, and political factions among ants, Thoreau suggests nature reflects -- and critiques -- the supposedly grand conflicts of human society.
What is the mock-heroic tone, and how does Thoreau employ it in this essay?
Mock-heroic tone applies grand, elevated language to trivial subjects. Thoreau uses it by describing an ant fight with references to Achilles, Austerlitz, and Bunker Hill.
What historical battles and events does Thoreau reference to elevate the ant conflict?
Austerlitz, Dresden, the Concord Fight, and Bunker Hill -- all major human battles used to make the ant war seem equally significant.
What classical allusion does Thoreau use when describing the red ant's mother?
He alludes to Spartan mothers who told their sons to return 'with his shield or upon it' -- meaning victorious or dead.
Why does Thoreau mention the presidency of Polk and the Fugitive-Slave Bill in the final paragraph?
By dating the ant battle like a historical event, he uses irony to equate it with the recorded conflicts of human history and subtly critiques American politics.
What does the term 'duellum' mean, and how does Thoreau distinguish it from 'bellum'?
'Duellum' is a duel between two individuals; 'bellum' is a full-scale war. Thoreau uses the distinction to emphasize the massive scope of the ant conflict.
Who were the 'Myrmidons' that Thoreau references?
In Greek mythology, the Myrmidons were Achilles' fierce warriors. The word itself derives from the Greek for 'ant,' making it a fitting allusion.
What does 'internecine' mean in the context of 'internecine war'?
Mutually destructive to both sides -- describing a conflict so fierce it devastates all participants.
What does 'pertinacity' mean as used in describing the ants' fighting?
Stubborn, unyielding persistence. Thoreau says the ants fought with more pertinacity than bulldogs.
What is the significance of Thoreau's line comparing the ants to Concord Fight: 'Two killed on the patriots' side, and Luther Blanchard wounded!'?
He diminishes the famous Concord battle by contrasting its minimal casualties with the thousands of ant deaths, satirizing how humans glorify relatively small skirmishes.
What does Thoreau mean when he says the ants fought 'not to avoid a three-penny tax on their tea'?
He suggests the ants fought for genuine principle, unlike the American Revolution which he reduces to a petty tax dispute -- a satirical jab at romanticized patriotism.
What is the significance of Thoreau wondering if the surviving black ant 'spent the remainder of his days in some Hotel des Invalides'?
The Hotel des Invalides housed wounded French soldiers. By imagining this fate for an ant, Thoreau underscores how the aftermath of war is the same for all creatures -- suffering and disability.