The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

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Henry David Thoreau

Central topics Henry David Thoreau Thoreau Society A Plea for Captain John Brown A Walk to Wachusett Civil Disobedience Herald of Freedom Slavery in Massachusetts Walden Related topics Abolitionism — Anarchism Anarchism in the United States Civil disobedience Concord, Massachusetts Conscientious objection Direct action — Ecology Environmentalism History of tax resistance Individualist anarchism John Brown — Lyceum movement Nonviolent resistance Ralph Waldo Emerson Simple living — Tax resistance Tax resisters — Transcendentalism The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail Walden Pond

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The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail is a two-act play by Robert Edwin Lee and Jerome Lawrence. The play is based on the early life of the titular character, Henry David Thoreau, leading up to his night spent in a jail in Concord, Massachusetts.

[edit] Plot

The play does not present events in chronological order; rather, the play features Thoreau remembering earlier parts of his life, not necessarily in the order they occurred. The play opens with Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his old age, recalling the memories of his friend, Henry. The play quickly shifts to Henry's current time in jail because he refused to pay the tax to support the war, where he meets Bailey, a common man falsely accused of arson. After meeting Bailey, Thoreau reflects on his recent past.

Henry, soon after graduating from Harvard, becomes a schoolmaster and attempts to teach a class against the school's curriculum , but Deacon Ball, a logical, respected teacher, makes him stop. After leaving the school, Henry and John (Henry's brother) start an outdoor school, but soon all of the children are pulled out of classes by concerned parents. Ellen, the sibling of one of the former classmates, went to the school to find out more about Transcendentalism, which her father claimed the school was based off of. Soon, John falls in love with Ellen and they go to church together (despite John and Henry's loathing of churches). However, Ellen admits that she does not truly love John.

Soon after, John dies from lockjaw caused by a shaving cut, and Henry tries to cope with the loss. The scene switches back to the jail...

[edit] Characters

Henry David Thoreau

Henry is the titular character of the play. The play is based on his early life. He is a somewhat radical Transcendentalist and refuses to pay a tax due to his opposition of the Mexican-American war. His unorthodox beliefs are not very well accepted by the city of Concord.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson (referred to in the script as Waldo) appears, for most of the play, middle-aged. At this time, Emerson has already become famous and is a very recognizable feature. He and Henry become good friends, despite a few differences of opinion.

Lydian Emerson

Lydian is the wife of Waldo. Although she respects Emerson, she and Henry form a relationship anyway.

John Thoreau

John is Henry's older brother, who shares many of the beliefs of Henry. He falls in love with Ellen, but then dies soon after Ellen admits she does not love him.

Ellen Sewell

Ellen is a young woman interested in Transcendentalism after her brother goes to Thoreau's school. She and John have a brief relationship that she ends.

Bailey

Thoreau's cellmate when he is locked up in the Concord jail. Thoreau teaches Bailey how to write his name and inspires Bailey to live a full life after he is released from prison.