Henry David Thoreau's Quest for Reformation While strolling through the forests near Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau stumbled across a man and his family. The father, John Field had moved to America from Ireland with his wife and his son in order to "improve [their] condition one day" (Walden, 139). Henry listened intently to what John had to say about his life in America and his plans for the future, and then he offered up his personal experiences concerning society and life in general. To a reader who hasn't been exposed to the works of Emerson or Throreau, the entire situation might seem perfectly normal, almost munda