Analysis Of Open City By Teju Cole

From 1890 to 1920, cities in the United States experienced a rapid growth that was unprecedented in years previous. This growth was caused by a number of factors and resulted in both positive and negative consequences. Such factors included, industrialization, technological advances, migration and immigration. Although American cities greatly improved by the expeditious urbanization, these factors also developed numerous challenges including pollution, sanitation problems, a need for environmental reform, political corruption, overcrowding, high crime rates and segregation.

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, narrates the frustrations of the common people toward Foulon, a French magistrate. The people rejoice when Foulon is imprisoned since he treated them awfully. The nature of the French Revolution is the common people’s elation at the downfall of the aristocracy. Dickens utilizes personification, motif, and symbolism to describe the relationship between the common people and Foulon.

In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens opens with an anaphora, about how the world is throughout the novel. A reoccurring theme throughout this story is the battle between good and evil. Most of the novel is about the struggles each force has and how most of the time good triumphs over evil. In A Tale of Two Cities, the triumph of love, the death of the Marquis, and the contrast between Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay shows how good triumphed over evil.

Larson’s, The Devil in the White City, recounts a defining time period for America. Larson sheds light on the ageless conflict: Good v.s. Evil, as he recounts the events that took place at the fair that changed America. With America falling behind in global dominances and its need to strive, Daniel Burnham tries to successfully construct the Chicago World's fair and hopes it will spark the turn of the century. As Burnham tries to builds up the White City, and while H. H. Holmes flourished in the dominant Black City, Larson takes the reader on a tour of both cities. As Holmes lives in the shadows of the Black City, he successfully murders many people without any suspicion. Holmes’s ability to manipulate, his charisma, and his bravado marks

Everyone knew that when one stayed in the water too long, one drowned. However, that was not the case. In Alden Nowlan’s, “The Fall of the City,” Teddy was a young boy who had a very vivid imagination. Although at times it went to the dark side, it was ultimately the mistreatment from his aunt and uncle which cause Teddy to destroy his city. For example, his uncle’s threats of physical abuse leaded Teddy drowned in his imagination, the only place where he can feel safer. Although Teddy hardly spoke back to his uncle, he was still threatened that he will not “be able to sit down the rest of the week.” The threat isolated Teddy from his uncle and Teddy felt as if he has no one to turn to. Without someone who truly understands his feelings,

In the novel The Devil in the White City written by Erik Larson, he entails there is a constant war between good and evil in Chicago 1893, each battle won is a life being made, or slaughtered “There are two wolves battling us all right now…. One’s good, the other is evil. If you’re wondering which wolf inside will succeed, simple, it’s the one that you feed…” by Ronnie Radke. Larson paints the white city’s atmosphere as preppy, educated, society that consists of architects like Daniel Burnham, while the black city portrays a bleak, poverty, society that consists of the serial killer H. H. Holmes. The reader experiences a journey between heaven and hell throughout the entirety of the novel, a dream-like euphoria in the white city, and the nightmare-like misery for the black. The difference between the two contradicting cities is so great that Larson switches the perspective of the serial killer, H. H. Holmes, and the genius architect, Daniel Burnham, throughout the book; painting this image to portray these differences in the white and black cities by using juxtaposition, figurative language, and imagery.

She trekked forward, valiantly, against the aloof, inhospitable environment. Around her, she witnessed as the rudimentary surroundings drove individuals away as if it never wished for accost. Despite this she continued to trudge forward, despondently, waiting for a sign-- anything to warn her if she ought to continue or if she ought to give up. Eventually, she persisted. Ann Petry, in her novel The Street, explores the dynamic relationship between Lutie Johnson and the unfriendly urban setting through the articulate use of dramatic personification and vivid imagery as a metaphor for the uncertainty that ensues when relocating in a new, diverse, and vastly dissimilar environment.

Between the 18th century and the end of the Industrial Revolution, English cities began to see a rapid increase in urbanization and development. Great Britain, proud to show their economic splendor, hosted the Great Exhibition of 1851. This was a showcase of British industrial power, and was the first of a chain of World Fairs that let the wealthier countries show their wealth for all to see. It can be seen on document six, a map of the city of Manchester, that between 1750 and 1850 there was massive growth, industrialization, and restructuring including new railroads and canals. Document 8, an excerpt from Manchester in 1844, describes how the town of Hyde only had 800 total residents at the beginning of the 19th century, while in 1843 there

Elijah Anderson published a novel called “The Cosmopolitan Canopy” where he looks at the “race and civility of everyday life”, as he puts it. He throughout the novel defines the “cosmopolitan canopy” as accepting of people from all backgrounds. In other words, the canopy is composed of a diverse population, lots of people and public spaces. Most importantly it has the spirit of positivity and civility. The best example of this would be Reading Terminal market in Philadelphia. Anderson believes that it epitomizes the idea because of how interactive people of different races, social and economic classes are getting along (10). The novel looks critically at public space in Philadelphia, who is allowed in them and how people interact within them.

In the novel “The Devil in the White City,” author Erik Larson uses characterization to develop two connected plot lines. In part one, chapter two; Larson goes back in time to introduce other substantial characters in the story such as, Daniel Burnham and John Root. The author portrays Burnham as a hardworking, successful architect. Whom has both feet on the ground especially when it comes to building something as detailed as the World’s Fair. Larson creates a convoluted character in Burnham by contrasting his success with his failure to get accepted into Harvard. Larson frames Daniel Burnham as a moralistic man to represent the good which will contrast with the evil that Holmes represents later in the novel.

The author gave Mayor Cole an “evil” person's role, I could simply tell that when he had Lina “arrested” by his guards and thrown in jail just because she was trying to send her friend Clary a note that had information to exit City of Ember, and also how he steals all the food in the City, leaving very few food for others who are also trying to survive the awfulness.

Teju Cole’s Open City tells the story of a half-German, half-Nigerian immigrant named Julius, living in New York City in a post-9/11 world. Throughout the book, Julius vacillates between self-awareness and naiveté, someone who thoughtfully observes and seeks connection with others, but only on his own terms. This is more apparent than ever in Chapter Fifteen, where Julius struggles to process the fact that his friend and mentor, Dr. Saito, is dying. In this chapter, he has a short conversation with a fading Dr. Saito, and then, not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts, visits his friend to reflect on that conversation. The talk he has with his friend reflects Julius’ self-absorption and self-imposed isolation, even as he attempts to reach out to other human beings.

Cities are characterized by the patterns of streets and squares that define their arrangement, a concept that undergoes frequent changes since the establishment of cities 10,000 years ago. There are multitude factors that influence such changes with system of government, values, population size, values, artistic sensibility, building methods, design techniques, paving techniques, military considerations, and transport technology being the main determinants. Medieval architectural designs emphasized on rigid grid forms, that contemporary writers of the history of urban planning and design, assume the presence of grids even in plans where they exist in approximate forms. Absence of grids is often perceived as lack of planning. Nevertheless, it is critical to note that the complex patters of streets in medieval cities were neither random nor chaotic.

It relates to the mental conditionings and the ever increasing accessibility of information which we keep on gathering and fail to relate in our daily life. The author juxtaposes two aspects in the novel, one is about the propensity towards realism and interrelation with historical events and other is propensity towards fictionality and reflexive self- examination. Cole uses Julius as a means to show various aspects of the city, such as the activities going in the city, big tall buildings, restaurants, music etc. Open City is additionally successful at sensationalizing the connection between objective and subjective experience. In one scene, Julius is stuck on a fire exit, high on the edge of Carnegie Hall.

A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens, takes place during the French Revolution. The book centers on the heroic attempts of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. Sydney Carton puts on the façade of being insolent and indifferent, but his true nature is expressed in the book when he puts others first, defends Charles, and dies for the ones he loves. Charles Darnay is a once wealthy aristocrat whose attempts at heroism include going back to France, his financial sacrifice, and the noble way in which he was willing to face his death.