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The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail

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Many of Emerson's maxims can be applied to "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail", one of which state:"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." What this means is that there is nothing more important than the strength of what you believe in. This maxim signifies the importance in following your own thoughts. The play is connected to this maxim in the way that one of its characters, "Henry" acts throughout it. As the play progresses, Henry's behavior is very divergent as to the beliefs at that time. For example, when Henry is confronted by Deacon Ball about one of his student's beliefs about God: "I believe that somebody with thought and plan and power has been there. An INTELLIGENCE!" (Lawrence and Lee p.18-19). Henry strongly

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