Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Personal Lives Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 and died there peacefully on May 6, 1862. He was described by Hawthorne as "ugly as sin." He loved nature, and his constant preoccupation was exploring the woods and ponds making detailed observations of plants and creatures. Henry led a singular life, never marrying, and marching to his own drummer, as he put it. From 1845 to 1847, he lived alone in a small cabin he built …

…instead being guilty. Hawthorne and Thoreau both have very different writing styles. Hawthorne uses more symbols to represent things like guilt, evil, or God. After reading Thoreau, he sounds sort of like a rebel in his time. His work is lighter, as in not as dark or depressing while Hawthorne seems to be pretty depressing talking about adultery and guilt. To sum things up, I am glad I never lived through that period in time.