Read the excerpt from "civil disobedience." as they could not reach me, they had resolved to punish my body; just as boys, if they cannot come at some person against whom they have a spite, will abuse his dog. based on his transcendental beliefs, thoreau most likely believed that the state a. was angry it could never truly imprison him. b. had the authority to force him to pay the poll tax. c. was preparing to imprison others to teach him a lesson. d. could imprison him but could never confine his soul.

D.could imprison him but could never confine his soul.

In this passage, Thoreau says that "they could not reach [him]" so instead they "punish [his] body". To punish his body the state puts him into prison. This does not however mean that the state can do anything to his soul. He does not think that the state can force him to pay the poll tax, and since he talks about the punishment of his body and not others, we know that the state will not imprison others.

"why don't you like me the way i am? " i cried. "i'm not a genius! i can't play the piano, and even if i could, i wouldn't go on tv if you paid me a million dollars! "

explanation:

the conflict between jing-mei and her mother is over jing-mei's piano lessons since her mother wants her to become a prodigy but she does not want to play it any more.