The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail: A Play

by Robert E. Lee, Jerome Lawrence, Reboert E. Lee

Book Overview

A reissue of a now classic American drama.

If the law is of such a nature that it requires you to be an agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law." So wrote the young Henry David Thoreau in 1849. Three years earlier, Thoreau had put his belief into action and refused to pay taxes because of the United States government's involvement in the Mexican War, which Thoreau firmly believed was unjust. For his daring and unprecedented...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809012235
• ISBN13: 9780809012237
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: Hill & Wang
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

An Enjoyable Night with Genius

Henry David Thoreau may be experiencing a sort of revival as of late. His treatise on civil disobidience is a hallmark of progressive action today. Upset that his government declared an unjust war, Thoreau refuses to pay taxes to show his digust, which lands him one lauded night in jail. Thus is the basis for this extremely inventive, timely play "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail". Not just a night in jail, but a brave overview Thoreau's life ensues, showing snippets of his events, meetings, and philosophies that were so critical to the development of his transcendentalism. This isn't a dry biography, however. The authors weave a Thoreau that is a rich tapestry of thought and action. He is both endearing and complex, wise and unaware. We enter the play with Henry in his cell, and begins to relive some important moments in his life. We meet Emerson and his wife, Henry's mother, and favorite brother John, as they inact with his memories and become alive themselves. The ebullience of John is obvious, which makes his passing much more severe. This play helps to maginify the brilliance of a brilliant man, while making him more human, more real. The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail is a great read, and will springboard your interests to study this amazing thinker.

Greatness "transcends" beyond words

THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL describes thinker Henry David Thoreau short experience in jail after not paying his taxes. Employing flashbacks within flashbacks, playwrights Lawrence and Lee take on the task of describing Thoreau's life so far. Filled with witty remarks and humorous dialogue, this book transcends what I can say about it. After having been assigned to read this book for my AP 11 English class, I started out first assignment: Read to page 50. To my surprise, once I got to page 50, I couldn't put it down. My teacher had warned us about this scenario. She said the book was cleverly hilarious and enjoyable. Naturally--it being an ASSIGNED book--I doubted her words. When I got into the play, within the first few words of dialogue, I was laughing out loud. The writers, whose research was obviously accurate and concise, tickled me when Ralph Waldo Emerson asked "who" his umbrella was, making a reference to his supposed contraction of Alzheimer's disease. Thoreau's teachings of God and fields and notetaking were pleasing and enriching. Not only was I thrilled by his paradoxical dialogue, [In a nutshell... Thoreau to a student: Why are you taking notes? Student: So I can remember what you say. Thoreau: But then it's the notebook that does the remembering, not you. (She puts away her notebook) Thoreau: Why have you stopped taking notes? Student: Because you said to. Thoreau: Why would you do what I say?] but I also took away something from it, which is a common moral you would see in books and movies today: Do things for yourself, and pay no attention to what others say or think. Though the moral is a bit overused, Lee and Lawrence refresh it and make the lesson new placing it in the midst of witticism and transcendentalist teachings. Now, the only thing left for me to do is write a thank you card to my teacher for treating us with this wonderful book.

A "Night" worth exploring

"The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, who also coauthored the classic "Inherit the Wind." "Night" is inspired by the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), naturalist, political radical, and seminal American intellectual figure. The play was first performed in 1970."Night" takes place during a night when Thoreau was jailed for an act of civil disobedience: he refused to pay a tax in defiance of the Polk administration's Mexican War. The action of the play consists of a series of interconnected, dreamlike scenes that explore Thoreau's life, ideals, and relationships. We see his theory of education, his strong opposition to slavery, his family ties, and, quite strikingly, his problematic yet enduring relationship with fellow American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. Particularly moving is Thoreau's encounter with an escaped slave."Night" is a moving, even inspiring, play. Thoreau is celebrated as not merely a crucial thinker and a great man, but as a truly transcendent figure: a prophet whose voice continues to resound. Highly recommended for literature classes, reading groups, and individual readers.

Easily read and surprisingly profound

This is one of my favorite books of all times. It's written as a play, so unlike many wordy and obtruse novels, it flows very smoothly. The authors depict Thoreau very well in his life and detailing his ideas and views on individualism, nonconformity, nature, and corrupted governments. For anyone who has dreamed of being different, you must read this book. It's so easy to grasp onto and filled with enough wit and humor to entice you to finish it within one sitting. Highly recommended.

Thumbs Up

PAGE 1: Confusion. Gave up. PAGE 1 (second try): Grimly hanging on. PAGE 2: In agony. PAGE 3: A dim bulb brightens. PAGE 4: Brief chuckle. PAGE 8: A bright bulb brightens. PAGE 10: Well into it, transcending toleration and passing into interest. PAGE 16: A band at full blast wouldn't distract me. PAGE 27: Wild horses couldn't drag me from this book. I'll stop my log there...not because of lack of anything else to say, but rather because there would be too much. This is an awesome book, full of humor and deep thoughts that reach out and bonk you on the head. I found Thoreau an engaging character and though the shifting from place to place and time to time at first chased me away, it's a powerful tool Lawrence and Lee (the second unlisted author) use very effectively. Thoroughly enjoyable and something that deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf.