He was part of this river of cars, aiding its sluggish tide and in turn aided by it. Without losing his identity, free to turn out of the tide when he chose, he still belonged to something.
The quote reflects a sense of belonging amidst the chaos of daily life, likening it to being part of a flowing river of cars. The individual navigates through this collective experience while maintaining personal identity, suggesting a balance between independence and community. There is an acknowledgment of the interdependence between the person and the surrounding environment, where they contribute to the flow and are also influenced by it.
This imagery illustrates the duality of human existence, where one can feel part of a larger system yet retain individual freedom. The notion of being able to choose when to diverge from the collective journey speaks to personal agency, highlighting how even in shared experiences, personal identity can thrive without being subsumed by the crowd. This dynamic is central to understanding the complexities of human behavior, particularly in the context of societal interactions as portrayed in Thompson's work.
