Question

What does Henry David Thoreau mean by the following metaphor?

The standing army is only an arm of the standing government.
A. That the army is inconsequential to the government
B. That the government needs two armies
C. That the army is one part of the government
D. That the army stands up for the government

Answer 1

The army is one part of the gov.

Answer 2

C. That the army is one part of the government

Step-by-step explanation:

By this metaphor, Thoreau means that the army is only one part of the government which, by this metaphor, is obviously greater that its component parts. Alas, in the larger context of the fragment, Thoreau is also making the point that the army follows whatever government is in power, so that if the government is corrupt or does not conform to the wishes of the people, neither will its army.