Walden Characters

"Simplify, simplify, simplify." It's one of the most famous sentences from Thoreau's Walden, but really jarring for people (like you) who have actually read the book. Sure, Thoreau declares that hi...

The poet is an unnamed character, but scholars generally agree that it refers to Ellery Channing, one of Thoreau's closest buddies. But boo on the scholars. It's almost better for him to be anonymo...

The philosopher is unnamed in Walden, although scholars generally agree that Thoreau was referring to Amos Bronson Alcott, father of Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women. Alcott was a frie...

The hermit makes a brief appearance in a silly dialogue with the poet at the beginning of the "Brute Neighbors" chapter. Like Thoreau, the hermit lives alone, contemplating Confucian philosophy (on...

The Irish characters are the only ones with names in Walden. This is not because of their significance, unfortunately, but because they are the least likely characters to actually read the book. Th...

The woodchopper is one of Thoreau's rare companions in the woods. Of French Canadian background, he is a purely natural man, not very bright in the bookish sense, but woods-smart (as opposed to str...