AtD.."off the track" vs historical determinism

[Mark Kohut]

Couple--three times TRP uses the phrase going "off the track" re
Lew's life and history in general---Scarsdale sez it.

Not surprisingly, this metaphor doesn't much exist [via quick Google
Books search] until after railroads.......'derailed' is the major synonym,
of course.

Given TRP's view of railroads in general going 'off the track' is a positive, of course.
once again reminding of freedom vs. determinism ala Slothrop (and others).....

A---and, if I noticed correctly, the word 'freedom' is used in three of the songs/poems
on the page in the first 250 pages of AtD........you can double-check me if ya want...

A....and I bring up a famous Marxist summary aphosrism releveant to discussing history and its determinism(s),
"freedom is the recognition of necessity".....

Seems that sloganized Marxism is not congenial to our author........
but some concept of a purer freedom---anarchic, libertarian-like?--is more congenial in certain
ways. As an ideal. 
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