Being Henry David

Researcher and Henry David Thoreau interpreter Thomas first encounters Danny in the Walden Pond State Reservation after Danny’s first night in Concord, Massachusetts. Thomas’s job requires him to “pose as Thoreau, wear[ing] the kind of clothes he would have worn, mak[ing] appearances and giv[ing] talks” to Concord tourists (83). Danny is immediately drawn to Thomas because of their shared interest in the famous Transcendentalist—but their connection is deeper, as is implied by the fact that a half-sleep Danny mistakes Thomas for his father. As a result, Thomas becomes a paternal influence and mentor for Danny.

Thomas is kind, empathetic, and patient. For example, he doesn’t punish Danny for sleeping in the park overnight. Instead, he senses that Danny is in need and offers him food, drink, and a ride into town. Thomas’s work at Concord’s public library gives the characters a way to connect and spend time with each other, as well as allowing Thomas to offer Danny material assistance such as paid employment and the opportunity to research his identity.

A nurturing figure, Thomas expresses concern for Danny: He notices when Danny is sick, finds him help for his physical injuries, gives him a place to stay, and offers him emotional support. Thomas’s openness and grace model trustworthiness. In particular, Thomas shares stories from his own difficult youth. Thomas had a difficult home life and served time in prison. However, afterward, he was able to remake himself and to find new modes of self-expression. He shares this with Danny because he doesn’t want Danny to see himself as a bad person. Over time, Thomas teaches Danny how to forgive himself, and that a person’s mistakes don’t have to determine their future or their identity.

Danny learns to rely on Thomas throughout his time in Concord, and their connection shepherds Danny toward growth and healing. Thomas relates to Danny in an authentic, caring way, but also asks Danny hard questions. He even encourages Danny to reconnect with his family after Danny tells him what he experienced in Illinois. Because Thomas doesn’t want Danny to give up on himself, he suggests that Danny follow Thoreau to Maine and explore Mount Katahdin. He understands Danny’s connection to Walden, to literature, and to the natural world, and encourages Danny to use these connections as tools for self-discovery.

Danny meets unhoused 17-year-old Jack and his 15-year-old sister Nessa shortly after waking up in New York City’s Penn Station at the start of the novel. When Jack approaches Danny in the Penn Station bathroom, Danny worries that he “could only lead [him] to trouble,” but also realizes that Jack “has decided to be [his] friend” (20). The two quickly develop a trusting connection, encouraged by Jack’s willingness to share the siblings’ living space. Jack’s kindness, humor, and grace calm Danny’s anxieties and ease his loneliness and confusion.

Danny spends the majority of his time in New York with Jack and Nessa. Danny doesn’t agree with their involvement with the nefarious drug dealer Magpie but understands that the Zane siblings are doing their best to survive, just like he is. He therefore learns to forgive them when they endanger him and lead him into a bad situation with Simon and Magpie. Danny feels sad when he leaves New York for Concord, Massachusetts, and must say goodbye to his new friends. Throughout his stay in Concord, Danny constantly thinks about Jack and Nessa, worries about their safety, and wonders if he should return to the city to be with them. His emotional concern illustrates the significance of these relationships.

Jack and Nessa’s relationship mirrors Danny’s relationship with Rosie. Danny is moved by their connection even before he remembers his own sister, as their kinship reminds him of the power of sibling relationships. Indeed, in the same way that Jack and Nessa make all of their decisions to protect one another, Danny has done the same in the past for Rosie.

Jack and Nessa resurface in Danny’s life when they travel to Concord to find him. Worried about Jack’s health and Nessa’s psychological well-being, Danny brings them to Thomas’s house for help. Now part of a human chain of connection, Danny can provide the same kind of protection that Jack and Nessa had extended to him; he defends Jack when he collapses outside of the high school. Jack and Nessa contribute to Danny’s personal growth because they love him when he’s the most lonely and desperate.