One can hardly avoid hearing a critique of urban life compared to rural here.
From our visit to the plain in Chapter 1-7, its "great qualities" seem
to amount to endurance: its people are "waiting for the future in a pathetic
immobility of patience."
In contrast, the townsfolk are discontented with their lot ("sullen"
and "vindictive") and willing to act for their immediate betterment
("thievish" and "bloodthirsty"). Urban life is thus criticized
because its people are more idealistic.