I didn't interpret Walden as an exceedingly subtle "joke," but as a lamentation of the nature of cultural, intellectual, technological, governmental, etc. progr

I didn't interpret Walden as an exceedingly subtle "joke," but as a lamentation of the nature of cultural, intellectual, technological, governmental, etc. progress. The space between lamentation and comedy is small enough for misinterpretation (in either direction). More specifically, I read Walden as a commentary on the accelerating erosion of individualism and self-reliance as we progress along those (cultural, technological, etc.) axes. I might be projecting a bit, biased by personal struggles with (what I think are) the same issues today.