Thoreau, Melville, and Davis might seem to be an odd grouping at first, but consider the criticism these writers offer of urban “modern” life in Walden, “Bartleby the Scrivener,” and Life in the
Iron Mills. What are the concerns that these writers share about urbanization and what it does to individuals? Discuss in your response how either “Bartleby the Scrivener” or Life in the Iron Mills demonstrates similar concerns as Thoreau’s reasons for heading to Walden Pond.