A comparative analysis of social interaction and commentary in Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Henry David Thoreau’s Walden."

"Readers of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a work in many ways reminiscent of Walden, are usually disappointed by its virtual neglect of society. It is accomplished, says Hayden Carruth, “with little reference to life on this planet at this moment, its hazards and misdirections, and to this extent it is a dangerous book, literally a subversive book, in spite of its attractions.” This must be put into perspective. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek has been well received.... Many critics, nevertheless, wish it were more like Walden, exploring the history of the social world as well as the natural history of the woods. Before deciding on the merits of this criticism, we need to consider what this argument ignores."