I have always felt that a lot of Dylan's best writing (including Desolation Row) was directed inward as well as outward. I don't think he often comments on "society," or on other people, without also commenting on himself (sometimes saving his most pointed comments for himself). This is fairly obvious in songs like "Just Like A Woman," perhaps less obvious in songs like "Visions of Johanna" or "Desolation Row". In my opinion this makes his work more personal, and more compelling, than it would be if he was simply criticizing others.