In chapter six, Finkel describes the fanfare surrounding Knight’s arrest, pronounced “a circus” by some local officials. How do you feel about Knight? On the North Pond camp owners’ scale of “Lock Knight up forever” to “Let him go immediately,” where do you reside?ħ. After his arrest, how does the narrative of the hermit change, if at all?Ħ. How would you describe the locals’ attitudes toward the hermit over time? Discuss the varied experiences of those who were victimized by his crimes and how these incidents affected their perceptions of their hometown, their domicile, and their safety. Why do you think Finkel chose to employ this narrative device? Explore the significance of the lore around Knight as “the hermit,” and how the mythos of “the hermit” is complicated once his identity is made publicly known.ĥ. In the first few chapters of the book, Knight is referred to solely as “the hermit,” before his name and identity are revealed to the reader. How would you describe his moral code? How does his moral code relate to larger ideas about capitalism and materialism in the United States?Ĥ. On page 5, Finkel states that Knight has a “moral code” that he lives by, which determines what he will and will not steal. What are his essentials? How many of these essentials are material versus immaterial? What does he value the most?ģ. In the early pages of the book, Finkel states that Knight has “stripped the world to his essentials.” Consider the lifestyle that Knight leads in North Pond. Discuss the significance of the Socrates epigraph that opens The Stranger in the Woods. How does this set the tone for the book? How does it relate to the book’s larger discussion of needs versus wants?Ģ.

Stranger in the woods book