The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

by Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee

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Bailey
Bailey, Henry’s transient cellmate, found himself imprisoned after a mishap in a barn where he dozed off, inadvertently setting it ablaze. Henry persistently attempts to engage Bailey in conversations about his rebellion against societal norms, but Bailey, lacking education, admits he cannot even pen his own name, let alone grasp Henry's fervent ideology. Henry demonstrates how to write a name, only to advise Bailey to forget it, warning that literacy could lead him into trouble. Bailey, enthralled by tales of Henry's sanctuary in Walden Woods, revels in the notion that Henry had a place he called home. When the prospect of a trial looms, panic seizes Bailey, prompting him to beseech Henry, an educated man, to act as his lawyer. Henry declines, leaving Bailey in a desperate state, seeking guidance. Though skeptical, Henry suggests prayer, leading Bailey to implore Henry for help in praying.

Outraged, Henry learns that Bailey has languished for three months awaiting trial. At the play's close, Henry vows to remain in the cell until Sam Staples acts on Bailey’s behalf. Bailey, deeply moved by this rare act of support, expresses his wish to visit Henry at Walden Woods upon his release. However, Henry reveals that his Walden days are over; he must return to society and make a stand. In Henry's nightmare, Bailey transforms into a reluctant soldier, refusing to fight.

Deacon Nehemiah Ball
Deacon Nehemiah Ball, both a religious leader and the chairman of the school board, regards Henry with disdain. During a visit to Henry’s class, Ball is scandalized by Henry’s deviation from sanctioned textbooks, denouncing his transcendental ideas as heretical. His indignation peaks when he discovers Henry working on a Sunday. Ball, quick to judge, is the first to propose incarcerating Henry for tax evasion. In Henry's nightmare, Ball emerges as a military General, championing the obliteration of foes and urging the Federal forces towards bloodshed.

Edward Emerson
Edward Emerson, the son of Waldo and Lydian, longs for Henry to be his father instead of Waldo, who is often away. Edward’s parents engage Henry as a handyman and tutor for their son, hoping he would forge a bond with Edward. Henry introduces Edward to the joy of berry hunting, though an excited Edward ends up spilling his basket. Henry calms him, explaining that the spilled berries will enrich the soil, promoting more growth. Edward beams when Henry ingeniously fits Lydian's chickens with glove-clad claws, safeguarding her cherished flowers.

In Henry's nightmare, young Edward becomes a drummer boy, injured in battle. Henry, tenderly bearing the wounded boy, takes him to Waldo, who presides as president in the dream. The dream Waldo, echoing his earlier hesitations, insists on crafting a meticulous essay instead of addressing the grim realities.

Lydian Emerson
Lydian, the loyal wife of Waldo, urges Henry to embrace a settled life, marry, and conform. Although Lydian resonates with Henry’s philosophies, she refrains from publicly opposing her husband. Lydian, often solitary due to Waldo's frequent lecture tours, confides in Henry that her husband will never fulfill the idealized image Henry envisions. Lydian bears the responsibility of delivering Waldo's message to Henry and an expectant crowd—that her husband is not ready to speak.

As Waldo ages, it is Lydian who assists him in recalling Henry's name, setting the play's events into motion.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of America’s literary giants, Ralph Waldo Emerson, is portrayed as lacking the fervor of activism that distinguishes Henry. Waldo delivers numerous lectures at Harvard, advocating for Transcendentalism, capturing the admiration of Henry David Thoreau, who becomes his devoted follower. Waldo employs Henry as both a handyman and tutor...

(This entire section contains 1817 words.)

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to his son, Edward, offering him a portion of his wooded estate, the future site of Henry’s Walden Woods endeavor.

Consumed by writing and speaking engagements, Waldo inadvertently neglects his wife, Lydian, who, despite her loneliness, stands by him unwaveringly. While Waldo and Henry’s friendship blossoms, it eventually sours, with Henry growing disillusioned by Waldo’s hesitance to publicly protest.

Henry confronts Waldo for not wielding his considerable influence against injustices like slavery and the Mexican War. While Waldo admires Henry as a living embodiment of his ideals, he cannot bring himself to adopt Henry’s confrontational approach. He opts to remain within the law, crafting lectures and essays. When Henry dares Waldo to rally the town in protest, Waldo initially agrees but retreats, sending Lydian with his refusal to speak.

At the curtain of the first act, Waldo questions Henry’s imprisonment, to which Henry retorts, questioning Waldo’s freedom. In essence, if Waldo truly practiced his preachings, he’d join Henry in jail, refusing to pay taxes as a form of protest. Within Henry’s haunting dream, Waldo appears as a president, ignoring wartime horrors, preferring to pen essays instead of making decisive actions, a mirror of his earlier reluctance.

Farmer
The Farmer steps onto the scene not once, but twice, when Henry's antics gather a curious crowd. He loudly accuses Henry of crying wolf too often, citing instances like when he falsely announced an impending speech from Waldo that never transpired. In the dark corridors of Henry's nightmare, the farmer transforms into a soldier.

Henry
Refer to Henry David Thoreau

Henry's Mother
Perplexed by Henry's eccentric behavior, Henry's mother longs for him to simply blend in, like everyone else. She insists on calling him by his full name, "David Henry," despite his preference for his middle name. She disapproves of his Sunday labors and holds onto the hope that Ellen Sewell will accept John's proposal of marriage. At John's funeral, she urges Henry to pray, but he finds himself unable to commune with a deity that would claim John's life.

Ellen Sewell
Ellen Sewell, a captivating young woman, finds herself caught in the affections of both Henry and John. She turns down John's proposal, despite being significantly older than the other students at their school, where she sought knowledge alongside them. Initially intrigued by Henry's transcendental musings, Ellen is soon put off and Henry suggests she attend church with John. She does so, but later reveals her father's prohibition against marrying either brother. Nonetheless, both Henry and John suspect she harbors feelings for both of them. When John passes away, Ellen is away from town and inquires of Henry what occurred. Henry responds with stark, brutal honesty, shocking Ellen. Yet, ultimately, she contemplates the idea of transcending John's death, hinting to Henry that she is beginning to grasp his philosophical views.

Constable Sam Staples
As the town's lawman, Sam Staples finds himself reluctantly placing Henry behind bars. Good-natured by disposition, Sam first presents Henry with a bill for unpaid taxes and even offers to lend him the money to settle it. Enraged, Henry insists on being incarcerated instead. Sam cannot fathom why Henry refuses to pay his taxes. It is at the culmination of the first act that Henry finally reveals his refusal to fund the Mexican-American war. This revelation answers the question posed at the act's outset. In Henry's haunting dream, Sam morphs into a Sergeant, instilling hatred in his troops and coercing Henry and Bailey into bearing arms against their will.

Henry David Thoreau
Renowned as one of America's literary titans, Henry David Thoreau stands as the impassioned protagonist who finds himself imprisoned. The audience learns, only at the close of the first act, that his incarceration stems from his refusal to finance a war through his taxes. Henry is a fervent advocate for rejecting societal norms, whimsically suggesting change, like commencing the alphabet with a novel letter. His mother, along with many townsfolk, finds his ideas peculiar. Despite his Harvard education, Henry dismisses traditional schooling, striving instead to impart his radical philosophies in a school environment stifled by censorship. This pushes him to establish an ill-starred school with his brother, John. While initially drawn to Ellen Sewell, he soon perceives John as her better match, although Ellen ultimately rebuffs John's proposal. John's death further erodes Henry's faith in organized religion and a benevolent deity.

A devoted follower and confidant of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry dedicates himself to living out the tenets of Waldo's teachings. He once served as Waldo's handyman and tutor to his son, Edward, in exchange for access to part of Waldo's woodland estate, which would become the famed Walden. At Walden, Henry encounters Williams, an escaped slave, whom he treats with the dignity of a free man. When news reaches Henry that Williams has been shot en route to Canada, he channels his grief into a critique of Waldo's passive stance on activism. He challenges Waldo, who holds more sway, to match his actions to his words. Waldo hesitantly agrees to speak against slavery and the war in Mexico but ultimately retracts, leaving Henry to vainly appeal to a disenchanted community. Plunged into a nightmare, Henry is roused by Sam Staples, only to be thrust into the chaos of war with a gun in hand. In this surreal vision, Waldo appears as president, yet he remains deaf to Henry's pleas and refrains from addressing the war. Upon awakening, Henry discovers his Aunt Louisa has settled his tax, much to his ire. As he departs from jail, he resolves to abandon Walden and escalate his activism to new heights.

John Thoreau
John Thoreau, cherished brother of Henry, stands as a kindred spirit who mirrors many of Henry's beliefs yet lacks his unwavering resolve. Upon Henry's return from the hallowed halls of Harvard, John greets him warmly, and together they engage in a spirited dialogue, expressing their shared skepticism towards conventional education. Despite their shared rebellion, John persuades Henry to swallow his pride and apologize to Deacon Ball, thereby securing his position.

As their joint venture in founding a school crumbles, John retreats to the familiar confines of the pencil factory. Both brothers find themselves captivated by Ellen Sewell, a young woman eager to join their educational endeavor. When Henry's attempts to capture her heart fall short, he selflessly encourages Ellen to consider John instead. Though she accompanies John to church, her heart remains guarded; she refuses his proposal, swayed by her father's disapproval of the Thoreau brothers. The brothers speculate that Ellen's affections are torn between them. Tragically, John succumbs to blood poisoning following a shaving accident with a rusty razor. In the haunting landscape of Henry's nightmare, John appears as a Federal soldier whose life is extinguished by the dream's end.

Waldo

Refer to Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Henry Williams

Henry Williams—a fugitive slave who adopts his first name from Thoreau and his surname from his previous owner—crosses paths with Henry in the tranquil embrace of Walden Woods. Initially wary of Henry, Williams soon marvels at the rare equality and respect he receives. Henry offers him sustenance and is heartbroken upon learning that Williams has been tragically shot while making a desperate bid for freedom in Canada.

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