I'm questioning whether Aslan read this section, as it does not decry capitalism, but rather denotes one of its central tenets, namely subjective value. Thoreau is in the middle of explaining that he understands that people may not have any use for his words, experience or craft by way of parable. The Indian is in the wrong in the story as he expects having weaved the basket is his end of some bargain and the lawyer's end is to purchase it regardless of whether or not he can use it. "Do you expect me to starve?!" The Indian asks, as though the Lawyer has wronged him, but Thoreau points out that the Indian neither tried to sell the man something that was worth his while nor tried to convince him that the baskets were worth his while.