I agree. Thoreau is a well-know figure, so people will have various opinions and perceptions of him, regardless of what his true character is.

Thoreau doesn’t seem like the type of person who would be fazed by going to jail, given his intellectual and thoughtful nature. So while his experiences in jail would be interesting for the reader, I’m not […]

“I am naturally no hermit” could be referring to the fact that humans are social beings and, by nature, don’t like to be alone for long periods of time.

[ I withdrew yet farther into my shell, and endeavored to keep a bright fire both within my house and within my breast.]

I admire Thoreau’s continued motivation to keep his spirits up despite not exactly enjoying […]

Well, because two chairs represent friendship, and more than two people is a group, one could conclude that three chairs makes a group. Society is essentially a group of people with a shared purpose or belief, so […]

I did not expect Thoreau to support vegetarianism mainly because I assumed he was like most people in that they thought eating meat was a natural way of life. However, Thoreau is not like most people, as he […]

[By such a pile we may hope to scale heaven at last.]

Thoreau holds books in high regard, as seen by this use of imagery. By using books as a means to reach heaven, which is the ultimate goal to most people, […]

[To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?]

These three sentences seem to comment on how routine most of society is. People generally go […]

[but the most proper and considerate course.]

I found it interesting that to Thoreau, not offering food to guests was considered polite and proper. This is opposite of today, as people now generally expect food […]

[Yet I sustained myself by the prospect of such reading in future.]

This sentence stuck out to me as a small, but clear, example of Thoreau’s “why”. Although Thoreau had a bigger “why” that was the main […]