Thoreau goes to the village to hear
the gossip (which is going against
his idea of self improvement).
He compares the village to the forest because
the village is home to certain kinds of "animals"
just as the forest is.
He doesn't really like the village
because it is crowded with too
many people, he quickly escapes
back into the woods when he is
done with his business.
Going back makes him
appreciate the starngeness
and vastness of nature.
While in the village one day, he
was arrested for not paying his
taxes.
He describes what happened as just
another way of society getting in the
way of his life.
He was never picked on or harrassed
by anyone except the State.
All of society's troubles would
go away if everyone lived a
simple life like him.