Tom Wolfe’s: O Rotten Gotham
“It got to be easy to look at New Yorkers as animals, especially looking down from some place like a balcony at Grand Central at the rush hour Friday afternoon.” (Tom Wolfe). “O Rotten Gotham” argues that New Yorkers are in a state of behavioral sink. It would not be long before a “population collapse” or a “massive die off”.
Throughout the article, Wolfe made his opinion clear. He believes everything New Yorkers go through is unhealthy and inhumane. Humans were compared to rats using the overcrowding, the ways of life, and the filth as examples. From the adrenaline rushes and car horns to helicopter noises and constant overcrowding, New York City is a constant stress causing environment.
Dr.
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You never hear Wolfe mention the positives about the environment. What about the Statue of Liberty, America’s most famous symbol for freedom? What about Times Square? When it’s time to start a new year, it is in New York City, where everyone is there or watching it on their televisions across the nation.
Perhaps the most important of all is Central Park. Central Park goes against everything Wolfe mentioned from people acting like animals, to the bad conditions of the city, and all the noises and craziness. This is the place in New York City where everyone goes to get away from it all. If someone is stressed and needs to get out of the city, but still be in the city, this is where they go. There are over 800 acres of grass, playgrounds, a carousel, castles, statues, and the Bethesda Fountain. The elegant horses equipped with a carriage and a chauffer are ready to take you for a ride around the park.
David O’Sullivan, from Yonkers NY, brought up some positive things about living in New York City. He talked about the very social environment. “I moved from there to Morehead, KY and it is totally opposite. I like clubs, bowling alleys, a choice of a million restaurants to eat at, and places to hang out, which are the things New York City has.” David also brought up the point that you do not have to own a car in the city. He took the subway everywhere, and got around much faster than compared to dealing with
George could not turn his back on New York City because the city had never turned its back on him, even when he had absolutely nothing. The effects of being raised in this sometimes cruel, yet prosperous environment is evident in the life of George Andrews; he represents not only the harsh
New York City is one of the world's most known cities, it is known as the melting pot. New York City has a blend of cultures all in one city. From the statue of liberty, malls and sky scrapers to the parks and restaurants, there’s always something to do or see. But like any other city, crime does exist. With that being said people are starting to feel unsafe. Citizens are moving from the place they once called home. Most believe that there's life in a civil society where kids can grow safely, nourish and thrive off the environment.
The historically accurate novel, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, presents us a twisted truth of the development of the United States. The novel takes place during The Chicago World’s Fair where architects are pressured to make a grand tower that would, ‘out-Eiffel Eiffel’. This put people like Burnam, Root and Olmstead in insane amounts of pressure. These architects had to cut some corners while making their towers. Workers were overworked, and they were payed unreasonably.
New York City has been in a constant state of change since the 1970’s. Evolving from a state of art and decrepitness to a glistening city of consumption. Yet in Jeremiah Moss’ book, Vanishing New York, the city did not “evolve” for the locals who breathed and lived in the city– the ones who made New York City the place to be, but rather for the big businesses who lure in the tourists who change the city into some kind of sister city to their middle American hometown. Moss uses the same ideas bell hooks wrote about in her “Eating the Other” essay, in that New Yorkers, the “other”, in all their artsy, queer, and ethnic ways are used to “spice up” the city, to make it a place worth coveting so that the rich and elite can sell a watered down/hollow
The United States of America is characterized in many different ways. Some people may say it is a land of opportunity and success, while others would argue that it is a place of regret. In The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, the United States is described as a mixture of good and evil. Larson accomplishes this reflection of America by telling a story which follows two different men with opposing motives. The first is Burnham, the architect in charge of building the World’s Fair. He is determined to make America a prideful nation. However, Holmes, the serial killer, has despicable reasons for wanting the fair. These two characters help show who America is and what it stands for. In his book, Erik Larson indicates that the United States is comprised of both good and evil by displaying the motives, conflicts, and resourcefulness of its people.
Many people don’t realize it, but without Jacob Riis, our city would still be the way as I previously described. New York would be known, not for it’s beautiful city lights, busy streets, and other attractions but for the nasty environment that envelops it. Thankfully, this is not the case and change in our society has occurred. Jacob Riis is a photographer, news reporter, and author. By using his skills, Riis crafted books and newspaper articles, completed with pictures to inform the public about the terrible conditions immigrants and city dwellers suffered in.
New York City’s population is a little over 8.3 million people. 8.3 million people are spread out among five boroughs and each have their own set routine. Each one of those 8.3 million see New York in a different way becuase “You start building your private New York the first time you lay eyes on it” (“City Limits” 4). Some people are like Colson Whitehead who “was born here and thus ruined for anywhere else” (“City Limits” 3). Others may have “moved here a couple years ago for a job. Maybe [they] came here for school” (“City Limits” 3). Different reasons have brought these people together. They are grouped as New Yorkers, but many times, living in New York is their only bond. With on going changes and never ending commotion, it is hard to
In its long and illustrious history, New York City (NYC) has gone through tremendous change. From a small trading post on the tip of Manhattan Island, to the greatest metropolis in the world, NYC has continued to evolve over time. One period in particular that had more degrees of change than many others, was 1860 to 1865. The lives of the residents of the great port city would be completely changed forever.
Walking through New York City is wonderful. Manhattan is filled with skyscrapers, bright lights, shops, restaurants and tons people. There are millions of things to do. I could only imagine, with all the excitement that goes on and the crowds of people everywhere, the city would be the worst place to be elderly or disabled and very difficult to maneuver. However despite being blind and deaf Helen Keller manages to give a depth description of the city and her experience there. New York City has a vibe that attracts million.
As the triumphant arc of George Washington stands proudly in the center of the park it is surrounded by a history of death. One of the surrounding buildings now housing New York University students was once the stage of a tragic fire, the fountain in which the children are playing in lays over mass graves and the large proud elm tree at the northeast corner of the park was once the final destination of those condemned to die. This history is one of sadness but the city of New York and the park itself have been able to overcome this history and become the laugh filled recreation area it is today.
The purpose of speech is to introduce New Yorkers to the new addition the city has to offer and to share with the people how it all came to be. In his dissertation, Hewitt analyzes the success New York will soon encounter by way of the bridge and states, “That Brooklyn will gain in numbers and in wealth with accelerated speed is a foregone conclusion”. Significantly, “New York City grew from 1 million people to 3 million plus” and “jobs in cities grew and locomotives to get around advanced during this time period of events.
“Critics often charge that gentrification constitutes a white “invasion” of poor black and Hispanic neighborhoods” (Levine, 2015). Re-developed neighborhoods often lose significant numbers in the African American population while gaining an overwhelming increase of white residents. In New York, the portion of
Life in the suburbs is pretty dull, but every day in Brooklyn, and the entire city of New York, is an adventure. Just walking down the street and seeing all of the different people and sounds can be an adventure, especially to little kids. Most kids have to read picture books to see trucks, and ambulances, and taxis and trains and planes, but not in New York. A kid can just walk down the street and see all of them within a ten-minute
As a conclusion, we saw that urbanization and gentrification have paced numerous evolutions in New-York city that has changed, consequently, the lifestyle of its citizens. But also that in order to reduce consumption or for simply saved money, Americans are willing to change their habits.
As for New York City, in the novel it is defined as the perfect place to live life to the fullest and not have a care of the world. As a reader, it is expected to envision this city full of lights as a bright, restless, and colorful place. Nick Carraway depicts New York City as a “...city rising up across the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money. The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of