The Far and the Near

“The Far and the Near” by American author Thomas Wolfe was first published in 1935. The story is set in rural America in the early 20th century and tells of a train engineer who passes the same cottage on his route for over 20 years. When the engineer retires, he visits the people who live in the cottage for the first time. The story explores themes such as The Relentless Passage of Time, Idealized Perception Versus Reality, and The Value and Impermanence of Human Connection. Wolfe’s story can be categorized as a Modernist short story, a genre typically associated with a departure from Realism and traditional story structure. Wolfe was additionally connected with the literary movement known as the Southern Renaissance, characterized by a focus on the complexities of the American South.

This guide refers to the version of the text that is freely available on the Thomas Wolfe Memorial website.

Content Warning: This guide and the source material briefly reference death by suicide.

Narrated with a limited third-person point of view, the story opens by recounting a train engineer’s experiences over the past 20 years.