The passage starting in paragraph two on page 81 in the Norton Critical Edition of Walden by Thoreau clearly shows tension between nature and society as a train cuts through Walden Pond. However, I believe even Thoreau feels conflicted about the meeting of these two opposing forces.

The chapter is Sounds, and, early on, Thoreau establishes his intimate knowledge of this meeting ground by saying the men who work on the freight trains bow to him as to an old acquaintance. This seems to give Thoreau credibility in the eyes of the reader. Immediately before that Thoreau explains how he commonly walks the railroad causeway, using the word often, and he even says he is “related to society by this link.” The two key words that stand out here are often and related. Thoreau is careful to express the habitualness of this walk through the use of the word often and the descriptions of his mutual comfort with the men of the train. He then uses the word related, a word commonly used to describe a familial connection to refer to the track. I believe this paragraph shows Thoreau’s uses for the meeting of the two worlds and paints them in a positive light. Continue reading →