ATDTDA (7): From far away, 186-188

[Paul Nightingale]

Alienation is compounded by the fact that Lew is tripping on Cyclomite,
which might explain the impressionistic description the passage begins with.
They are "waiting for the terrible moment" and the landscape does,
momentarily seem to 'explode': "... palatial towers of carved stone and
fancy millwork coming up over the edge of the brushland ..." etc.

Not least, "coming up over the edge of the brushland" indicates how
'civilisation' (brought by the railroad, of course) has been imposed on the
'wilderness' (no end of scare quotes here). In terms of iconography, one
might think of a thousand westerns, in which the anonymous "Red Indian"
hordes suddenly appear on the horizon.

> 
> I think that the not belonging side of this is underlined by the
> passage describing the West from the windows of the train as it
> travels through New Mexico and on to Galveston. This is a tourist's
> perspective.
>