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Government's Control Of Society In 'The Village' By Thoreau

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In, “The Village”, Thoreau begins by explaining how the village was “refreshing in its way as the rustle of leaves and the peeping of the frogs” after visiting the town after his stay at Walden (133). On the other side, when he came to the town, he found the people addicted to the gossips and news and he mentions that he was almost tempted by the village, which tried to lure him back into the materialistic things in life. In the passage above, Thoreau describes the society as “the State which buys and sells men, women, and children, like cattle, at the door of its senate-house,” indicating the authority the society has on its people (137). After distancing away from the whole society, Thoreau was able to recognize government’s control on the

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