The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Act 1 Act 2
Themes
All Themes History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action War Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Henry David Thoreau Ralph Waldo Emerson John Thoreau
Symbols
All Symbols The Cell Walls
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The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

by

Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
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Henry David Thoreau Character Analysis

Henry is the defiant, young, Harvard-educated protagonist and the play’s imaginative interpretation of the historical Henry David Thoreau, who was a leading thinker in the Transcendentalist tradition and wrote the book Walden. Henry is deeply passionate about resisting both the United States government’s war in Mexico and its segregationist policies in the North. He is imprisoned for refusing to pay his taxes because he does not want to contribute funds that will end up furthering what he sees as the slaughter in Mexico. The play dramatizes his thoughts and conversations regarding his ideas during the night he spends in jail.

Henry David Thoreau Quotes in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

The The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail quotes below are all either spoken by Henry David Thoreau or refer to Henry David Thoreau. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
).
Act 1 Quotes

“I’ve forgotten the name of my best friend!”

Related Characters: Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker), Henry David Thoreau
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis:

“Cast conformity behind you!”
“Cast…Conformity…Behind You…!”

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker)
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:
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I want to be as much as possible like Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker)
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 8
Explanation and Analysis:
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I refuse to commit murder. That’s why I’m here.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Bailey (speaker)
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
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For you and me, deacon, the declaration of Independence has already been written. Young Thoreau has to declare it every day.

Related Characters: Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker), Henry David Thoreau, Deacon Ball
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
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Act 2 Quotes

You might try getting yourself born in a more just and generous age.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Bailey
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
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I gotta git to Cañada!

Related Characters: Henry Williams (speaker), Henry David Thoreau
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 81
Explanation and Analysis:
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Always do the right thing, even if it’s wrong.

Related Characters: Mrs. Thoreau (speaker), Henry David Thoreau
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:
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Seems to me I’ve got several more lives to live.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Bailey
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:
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Henry David Thoreau Quotes in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

The The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail quotes below are all either spoken by Henry David Thoreau or refer to Henry David Thoreau. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
).
Act 1 Quotes

“I’ve forgotten the name of my best friend!”

Related Characters: Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker), Henry David Thoreau
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis:

“Cast conformity behind you!”
“Cast…Conformity…Behind You…!”

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker)
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

I want to be as much as possible like Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker)
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 8
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

I refuse to commit murder. That’s why I’m here.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Bailey (speaker)
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

For you and me, deacon, the declaration of Independence has already been written. Young Thoreau has to declare it every day.

Related Characters: Ralph Waldo Emerson (speaker), Henry David Thoreau, Deacon Ball
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
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Act 2 Quotes

You might try getting yourself born in a more just and generous age.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Bailey
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

I gotta git to Cañada!

Related Characters: Henry Williams (speaker), Henry David Thoreau
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 81
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

Always do the right thing, even if it’s wrong.

Related Characters: Mrs. Thoreau (speaker), Henry David Thoreau
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

Seems to me I’ve got several more lives to live.

Related Characters: Henry David Thoreau (speaker), Bailey
History and the Importance of Learning from the Past Theme Icon
Protest, Resistance, Community, and Action Theme Icon
War Theme Icon
Education, Thought, Information, and Learning Theme Icon
Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility Theme Icon
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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