EmilyVierling

AshleyCarruth
Humanities11
TheNightThoreauSpentinJailLiteraryAnalysisEssay

Intheplay,
TheNightThoreauSpentinJail
,JeromeLawrenceandRobertE.LeefollowHenryDavid
ThoreausastonishingjourneytohelptheUnitedStatesreachalevelofmoraljustification.Borninthe
year1817,Thoreauwasamanaheadofhistime.Thoreauwasaleadingtranscendentalist,hecontinually
reflecteduponsimplelivingsurroundingnaturalareasanddisobedienceagainstanunjuststate.He
encouragedprotestagainstmorallyunjustlawsandpersuadedpeopletolivetheirlivesbasedontruths
graspedthroughreason,notjustphysicalperception.Intheplay,Thoreaustranscendentalviewsare
illustratedthroughhisbiasagainsttheMexicanAmericanWar.TheUnitedStateswasinastateof
confusion,everyonewastrappedintheclutchesofsocietyandThoreausultimategoalwastodraw
peopleoutandshowthemthatthewarragedonMexicowasnotmorallycorrect.Intheplay,Thoreaus
messageproducesmultiplelessonsthat,asthereader,arevitaltounderstandinordertoperceivetheplay
throughThoreausviews.ThroughThoreausactionsandmoraldevelopmentasacharacter,Jerome
LawrenceandRobertE.Leeareabletogenerateapersuasivepieceofwritingthatdisplaysclever
techniquesusedtorevoltagainstmorallyunjustifiableactions,furtherteachingfuturegenerations
Thoreausmethodologyandapproachtowardsindividualrighteousness.

Transcendentalismis,Aphilosophythatemphasizestheaprioriconditionsofknowledgeandexperience
ortheunknowablecharacterofultimaterealityorthatemphasizesthetranscendentasthefundamental
reality
(MerriamWebster'sCollegiateDictionary).
IndividualismwasespeciallyimportanttoThoreau
andRalphWaldoEmerson.Itwasbelievedselfreliancewaskeyinthesuccessofanindividual.But

overall,Transcendentalistsvaluedspiritualandmentalconnectiontotheworldratherthanaphysical
connection.AsRalphWaldoEmersonstatesinhisessay,
TheTranscendentalist
,

TheTranscendentalistadoptsthewholeconnectionofspiritualdoctrine.Hebelievesinmiracle,
intheperpetualopennessofthehumanmindtonewinfluxoflightandpowerhebelievesin
inspiration,andinecstasy.Hewishesthatthespiritualprincipleshouldbesufferedto
demonstrateitselftotheend,inallpossibleapplicationstothestateofman,withoutthe
admissionofanythingunspiritualthatis,anythingpositive,dogmatic,personal.Thus,the
spiritualmeasureofinspirationisthedepthofthethought,andnever,whosaidit?Andsohe
resistsallattemptstopalmotherrulesandmeasuresonthespiritthanitsown.
(Emerson,The
Transcendentalist)

Theplay,however,stronglyemphasizesthecommontranscendentalistssignificanceofselfrelianceand
individualism.OneofthequotesthatThoreauisstronglyrecognizedforhastodowithindividualismand
selfreliance.Hestates,Ifamandoesnotkeeppacewithhiscompanions,perhapshehearsadifferent
drummer.Lethimsteptothemusicwhichhehears,howevermeasured,orfaraway(1).Themessage,as
Iunderstandit,isthatamanorwomanshouldnotbeashamedtotakeadifferentpath,stepawayfromthe
normsofsociety.Hestronglyemphasizestheimportanceofdifferenceinthisquote.Everypersonhas
theirownindividualdrumbeat,andoneshouldnotconformthatdrumbeattofitinwiththegeneral
society.Thoreaulivesbythesewords.InthewakeoftheMexicanAmericanWar,Thoreaustrongly
refusedtopayhistaxestosupportawarthathe,asanindividual,didnotthinkwasmorallyjustifiable.
Consequently,Thoreauwasthrowninjailforhisindividualisticbeliefs.Thoreautookthistomeanthat
valuingyourindividualisticbeliefswasagainstthenormsofsociety.ItissuddenlycleartoThoreauthat
thepeopleoftheUnitedStatesaremachinesmanufacturedandcontrolledbythegovernment.Inorderto

belikedinthesociety,peoplemustabidebytherules,eveniftheyareunjust.Thoreauhasaheated
exchangewithhiscellmate,Baileyashetriestoexplainwhatconclusionhehascometobasedonthe
consequencesforhisactions,

Iknowwherehesgoing.Hesgoingwherehes
supposed
togo.Sohecan
be
wherehes
supposedtobe,atthetimehessupposedtobethere.Why?Sohellbe
liked.
MyGod,awhole
countryofuswhoonlywanttobeliked.Buttobe
liked,
youmustneverdisagree.Andifyou
neverdisagree,itslikebreathing
in
andneverbreathing
out!
Amancansuffocateoncourtesy.
(15)

Onethingthereadercantakeawayfromthisconversationisthelessonthatyoudontneedtoconformto
thenormsofthesocietyorgovernment.Youhaveamoralrighttoexpressyouropinion,you
should
disagreeforifyoudont,yousuffocateonwhatyoudontbelieveanddeprivesocietyofachanceto
evolve.

Theplayalsotouchesontheplaceofeducationinthesociety.Thoreaubelievesthateducationshouldbe
comingfromoneself.Itshouldnotnecessarilybetaughtbyanother.Thistiesbacktohisviewon
selfreliance.Thereisnobodythatcanteachyouwhatyouteachyourself.Thoreauvaluedthe
differentiationofinstructionandthetreatmentofeachstudentasanindividual.Hebelievedthatthe
learningoftheindividualwasdirectlycontingentonwhatoneknowsandhowtheyperceivetheworld
surroundingthem.Theformoflearningthatshouldbeacceptedinschoolenvironmentsshouldemphasize
theideathateachchildlearnsattheirownability.Eachchildisanindividualandlearnsdifferently.
EveryoneisapartofthisEarth,knowledgecomesfromeveryoneandeverything.Heexpresseshis
perspectiveoneducationwhenhesays,


Class.YouveheardtheDeacon.Weshallsticktotheapprovedbooks.Youreyesmustnot
wanderfromthepagetolookataleaf,oranunauthorizedbutterfly.Youmustnotlistentoa
cricketorsmellaflowerthathasnotbeenapprovedbytheSchoolCommittee.Youdbetterclose
bothearsandholdyournosethoughyoumayhavetogrowanextrahandtodoit.(20)

ThisquoteisstatedwhenThoreauishavinganargumentwithBallintheplay.Ballwasarguingthat
everychildoughttofollowtherulesofthetextbook.Thoreauwithhisindividualisticbeliefsrebelled
saying,Mystudentshavetheacheofcuriosity,whichImafraidyour
pro
scriptionswillnotcure!(20).
Thoreau,inthispassage,arguesthatintelligenceandeducationcomesfromthecuriosityproducedbythe
innerconscience.ThisbeliefalsoprovesThoreauwasamanaheadofhistime.Manystudieshavebeen
conductedallaroundtheglobetoprovethatcuriosityleadstodiscovery.OneexampleisSugataMitra.
SugataMitraisascientistwhostudiedtheinnercuriosityproducedbychildren.Heplacedcomputers,all
inEnglish,inthirdworldcountriestoseewhatresultscouldrevolutionizethethoughtofteaching.He
foundthatchildrenwereabletotranslateandfigureouthowtoworkthecomputerwithnoprevious
influence.Hisfindingsbroughttolighthowchildrendidntnecessarilyneedateachertoteachthem,but
moretoguidethem.FormanyscientistswhostudythetheoriesofeducationappointThoreauastheir
inspiration.Thoreauwasabletoseethateducationdidntneedtobetaughtinaclassroomorbyateacher,
butthateverychild,withtheirownindividualcuriosities,couldflourish.

Thefinalimportantlessonthatwecanlearnfromtheplayisthebeingversusliving.Thisissomething
thatThoreau,intheplay,stronglyemphasizes.InThoreauseyes,livingwasjust,forlackofabetter
word,living.Youwerejust
there
.Therewasnoindividualimportance,Thoreaudidntwantthatfor

himself,hewantedtolivedeliberately.OneactionthatThoreauwasfamousforwastakingsanctuaryin
thewoods,becausethatwasararethingtodo.Heexplainshisactionswhenhesays,

IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately,tofrontonlytheessentialfactsoflife,
andseeifIcouldnotlearnwhatithadtoteach,andnot,whenIcametodie,discoverthatIhad
notlived.Ididnotwishtolivewhatwasnotlife,livingissodearnordidIwishtopractice
resignation,unlessitwasquitenecessary.Iwantedtolivedeepandsuckoutallthemarrowof
life,tolivesosturdilyandSpartanlikeastoputtoroutallthatwasnotlife,tocutabroadswath
andshaveclose,todrivelifeintoacorner,andreduceittoitslowestterms.(
Walden:Or,Lifein
theWoods
)

Thoreauclearlywantedtotakeadvantageofeveryopportunityhehad.Hewantedjustto
be
.Connect
withhiscommunity,withhisenvironment.Hewantedtocreatememoriesandexperiencesthatwouldlast
himalifetime.Livingwastooboring,beingwasenticing,aneverendingadventure.Tobeallowedyouto
liveinthemoment,tonotworryaboutthepastorthefuture.Itallowedyoutotakeriskswithoutworrying
abouttheconsequences.Tosimplylivedidntinvolveallofthatadventureoflivinginthemoment,it
keptyoutrapped,thinkingaboutthepastandfuture,itdidntallowyoutobe
free
,andfreedomwas
somethingthatThoreaureallyvalued.Hecommunicateshisviewonbeingversuslivinginaconversation
withEllenintheplay,

HENRY:Canyoutouchthebottom?
ELLEN:(
Reachingdown.)
Itstoodeep.
HENRY:Forthelengthofyourarm.Notforthelengthofyourmind.
(Hehasstoppedrowing.)

MissSewell.Whyshouldyourreachstopwithyourskin?Whenyoutranscendthelimits
ofyourself,youcanceasemerelylivingandbegintoBE!
ELLEN:Idontmind
living
HENRY:But
being
issomuchmoreinteresting.
ELLEN:
(Takingherhandoutofthewater)
Imalittlebitafraidjusttobe!
HENRY:Thinkhowfreeitis.Ifyoureneverafraid.
ELLEN:Arentyoueverafraid?
(Hethinks,staresather.)
HENRY:Yes.ImafraidthatImightliverightthroughthismomentand
only
live.
(35,36)

Thoreaudoesnotwanttoleadalifewhichinvolvesfearorentrapment.Thisisnotthepersonheis,ashe
indicatedtoEllen.Hedoeshaveafear,however,andthatistoonlyappreciatehislifeasawhole,instead
oftakingthetimetohonoreachandeverymomentthathehas,eachandeverymomentthathevalues.

TheNightThoreauSpentinJail
proposesmultiplelessonsthatpeople,evenfromtoday,canlearnfrom.
Foryears,Thoreauhasinspiredmanypeopletofollowtheirownindividualpathsthatleadtothelifethat
theywanttolead.Thoreaupersonallyinspiresmetotakeadvantageofeveryopportunitythatisgivento
me.Throughthisplay,IwasabletoconnectwithThoreauscharacteronanemotionallevel.Peopleare
alwayspickedonfortheirdifferences,butthetruthisthatthesedifferencesisthefoundationofsociety.If
everyonewasthesame,howcouldwedifferentiateourselves,betteryet,howcouldweevolveasa
societythroughgenerationsifnobodyprovedtobedifferent?IthinkThoreausmajorpointtomakeinhis
lifetimewasthatinallplacesandsituations,valueyourindividualbeliefs.Dontletthemgetknockedout

ofyourhandbytheconformersofsociety.Dontletyourselfceasetoexist,bedifferent,embracethe
qualitiesthatmakeyouanindividual.Thoreaucontinues,todayeven,toinspiregenerationstorevolt
againstmorallyunjustsituationsandtobuildupontheirindividualisticbeliefstobecomethebetter
individual.