Act 1: The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail – Flashcards
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List an example of irony in act 1
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Thoreau says "Thank god we can't fly. We'd pollute the sky." Now we have planes and our skys are very polluted.
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Describe the first character introduced
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Waldo is introduced by starting off very forgetful because he forgot his best friend's name.
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Describe the second character introduced
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Lydian is introduced as Waldo's wife. She seems kind, helpful, and questioning.
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How does Henry's mother add comic relief
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She speaks with amusing emphasis and has that stereotypical, "mother like" characteristic.
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What is John and Henry's philosophy on education
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They want a class without rules or laws and want to cater to the students curiosity.
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Where will Henry and John's school be located
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It will be located in the universe- Concord countryside.
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Why does Henry get upset with Ellen during the lesson about grass blades
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Ellen was taking notes like how Henry was. Henry wanted Ellen to have individuality and not copy others.
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How does Edmund's withdrawal effect Henry's school
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Henry and John will have to close the school.
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What develops in the relationship between Ellen and Henry
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Henry loves Ellen, but thinks she should be with John. Ellen is a little frightened and confused with Henry.
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What happened to shake Henry's faith in God
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John died from laughter, one of the happiest things on Earth. John was shaving and laughed, causing him to prick himself. It got infected and there was a long, gruesome death. John died from laughter, one of the happiest things on Earth.
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Henry has a disdain for money. What form of payment does he ask for and why
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Henry asked for a small part of Waldo's woods for an "experiment."
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What does the flute music and the leafy-green projection indicate
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It indicates Henry picturing and thinking about Walden Pond.
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What are Henry's thoughts about retirement
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Henry thinks retirement is absurd. He thinks it is crazy to work hard most of your life and then when you retire, you only get a moment to relax before you die.
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Describe a scene that you have visualized and/ or can remembered vividly
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When Henry will absolutly NOT pay his taxes and ends up in jail. I can picture Sam pleading Henry to pay his taxes, but Henry doesn't budge. He will not pay his taxes. Then he is in his jail cell and I picture him looking out of his jail cell bars at the streets and seeing Sam. Henry is upset and shocked to see Waldo. He was screaming "Waldo! What are you doing out of jail?"
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Why does Henry think the summons he has been served suits a practical purpose
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Henry puts the summons over the hole in his shoe to cover it up.
