The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail

“I’m myself, Mother […]. If I’m not, who will be?”

Henry’s mother is disappointed in him for ending up in jail, and she suggests she does not really know him. His response demonstrates his individuality as well as the responsibility he feels to maintain his integrity rather than conform to society’s expectations or the country’s laws. He is the only person who can be himself, so he will not follow any other authority. To him, this is simple and clear.

“Is this the Earth? […] No. It’s you. And I. And God. And Mr. Emerson. And the Universal Mind.”

Henry believes in a divine connection that runs among God, nature, and humankind. Thus, he tells John that the Earth is not simply the Earth; it is everything and everyone, too. Henry believes in honoring the divine in nature and in his fellow humans, treating both with respect and seeking to protect them when possible.

BAILEY (Foggily.) I missed part of that. Guess I’m not full awake.

HENRY (Studying him.) “Nobody is. If I ever met a man who was completely awake, how could I look him in the face?”

Henry uses being awake as a metaphor for being fully aware of the divinity within oneself and everyone else. No one—according to Henry—is truly and fully aware of their divinity and individuality. If he were to meet such a sensitive and discerning person, he feels it may be difficult for him to even look at them because it would make him feel inadequate or deficient in comparison. To see someone so awake, so alive and deliberate, would be humbling since Henry is still working to constantly remember the divinity in others.