About the Author
Although best remembered for his nature books for young children and young adults, Sterling North also wrote a number of biographies of American literary and […]
Thoreau of Walden Pond
Setting
Born on July 12, 1817, Thoreau lived in one of the most intellectual communities of any era in American history, mid-nineteenth-century Concord, Massachusetts. He was […]
Themes and Characters
North’s biography of Henry David Thoreau concentrates on the theme of human interaction with nature and, as a corollary, on individualism. The book recounts Thoreau’s […]
Literary Qualities
Perhaps the greatest literary value of Thoreau of Walden Pond is that it covers Thoreau’s entire life. The biography does not concentrate on the circumstances […]
Social Sensitivity
A few of North’s remarks in the book seem directed exclusively to young males, but this does not occur so frequently that readers of both […]
Topics for Discussion
1. Why do you think that Thoreau is considered not merely a great American writer, but also a great American? 2. Describe Thoreau’s personality. Is […]
Ideas for Reports and Papers
1. What was Thoreau’s philosophy toward humankind’s interaction with nature? Was nature a resource to be used to benefit humankind or was it something to […]