Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes, as exemplified in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, in which the authors limns how life can sometimes be too much, and the only solution is to hide. The authors portray Thoreau as a man who values the simplicity of having nothing, as he hides in his own private escape. By using simple props and set, the authors convey Thoreau’s love of simplicity and his desire to change the world. The tone of the play is often satirical, with touches of sadness, which brings Thoreau to life. The playwright’s style tends to be humorous, flavored with sarcasm, to highlight the main meaning behind the work, ‘simple is better’. The playwrights use a sarcastic tone to convey Thoreau’s contempt of society. “I also wear a ridiculous hat. That doesn’t mean that you should wear a ridiculous hat. You’d look ridiculous in it. Nature didn’t stuff this meadow full of identical blades of grass, each an imitation of another. They’re all different! Follow the leader is not the game we’re playing here! Young lady, BE YOUR …show more content…
“Maybe to prove that less is more. You see, I’m really very wealthy; I just don’t have any money, that’s all-Henry” (Lawrence and Lee p. 89). Here, Thoreau tries to help Williams understand that the important things are the little things. Henry lives in a shack in the middle of no-where, with nothing but a garden and a flute. The flute music symbolizes safety, security, and peace, all things that Henry found in Walden. The writers try to depict Henry as a happy-go-lucky sort of man, but one who will readily stand up if he thinks that there is an injustice. Henry tries to help others discover their individuality, and attempts to show them a world beyond the stereotypes. The playwright’s style helps to paint Thoreau as an individual who attempts to show others the simplicity of the