Civil Disobedience

Essay | Henry David Thoreau

Give a description of Thoreau's roommate in the prison cell

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Give a description of Thoreau s room-mate in the prison-cell Henry David Thoreau spent one night in jail for not paying the poll tax His stay was short but full of meaning It gave him a new view of human nature He met a prisoner there whose simple cheerful nature deeply impressed him A Cheerful Companion Thoreau s roommate was a lively and friendly man The jailer introduced him as a first-rate fellow and a clever man He greeted Thoreau kindly and showed him where to hang his hat The man seemed well adjusted to prison life and treated it as ordinary His Case and Nature The prisoner was accused of burning a barn He claimed innocence and stated that he was wrongly accused Thoreau thought he might have smoked a pipe in drunken sleep causing the fire by accident He had been in jail for approximately three months and

was awaiting trial His Contented Spirit Though imprisoned he remained calm and satisfied He said he got his board for nothing and was well-treated His humor and acceptance of fate made him different from others His spirit showed no bitterness Thoreau respected his patience and simple joy even in the face of hardship Symbol of the Common Man Through this man Thoreau saw the strength of the common soul Like he wrote elsewhere The mass of men serve the State as machines Yet his roommate seemed more human free in thought and happy in heart He reminded Thoreau that goodness can even flourish behind bars In short Thoreau s roommate was a simple honest and cheerful soul He lived peacefully in prison and accepted his life with grace His calm nature and friendly talk gave Thoreau comfort and insight during that single memorable night

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