In William S. Burroughs' "The Place of Dead Roads," the author critiques England's societal structure, portraying it as stagnant and decaying. He argues that the monarchy, particularly the Queen, serves as a stabilizing force that allows a small elite to maintain their wealth and power, despite the country's evident decline. This relationship upholds a regime that he describes as a weak form of fascism, avoiding extremes and thereby failing to address underlying problems.

Burroughs emphasizes the notion that England exists in a state of denial, likening it to an injured animal unaware of its mortality. He suggests that the legacy of the British Empire haunts the nation, leading to a moral and social decay. This imagery of a fallen, oblivious creature captures the essence of a society grappling with its history while remaining trapped in its own failures.