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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:
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Act 1
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“I’ve forgotten the name of my best friend!”
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“Cast conformity behind you!”
“Cast…Conformity…Behind You…!”
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I want to be as much as possible like Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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I refuse to commit murder. That’s why I’m here.
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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.
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Act 2
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You might try getting yourself born in a more just and generous age.
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I gotta git to Cañada!
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Always do the right thing, even if it’s wrong.
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Seems to me I’ve got several more lives to live.
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Get the entire Thoreau in Jail LitChart as a printable PDF.
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:
).
Act 1
Quotes
“I’ve forgotten the name of my best friend!”
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Cast conformity behind you!”
“Cast…Conformity…Behind You…!”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
I want to be as much as possible like Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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Explanation and Analysis:
I refuse to commit murder. That’s why I’m here.
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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.
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Act 2
Quotes
You might try getting yourself born in a more just and generous age.
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I gotta git to Cañada!
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Always do the right thing, even if it’s wrong.
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Seems to me I’ve got several more lives to live.
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