The Landlord

The Landlord is Thoreau's allegorical figure of hospitality, a self-appointed brother of his race who feeds and shelters men from pure love of the creatures rather than charity or philanthropy. His flaw is also his glory: he would sacrifice the tender ties of private friendship for a broad, sunshiny friendship with all humanity, so that even his neighbor of years receives only the civilities of the road. He matters because he embodies Thoreau's meditation on the tavern as the most sacred roof — the one that shelters most of humanity.