“The Character Of The City”

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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Since the idea of a city having characteristics of a human is not something we think of everyday, this concept may take a bit to grasp, however, after reading ?Bright lights, Big City,? and watching ?Smoke,? I feel that such an idea is indeed possible to comprehend.

As we learn throughout the story, New York City is rather tolerant of most things such as unstoppable drug addictions that many of the city?s members depend on to survive in such a place. We also learn that in a way, it needs these things to survive as a whole; but at the same time it needs people in the city to survive as well. This is an example of how there is a mutual need or dependency between the city and its people in order to survive. It almost seems as though this city will stop at nothing until it has met its needs, and it will continue to pursue them regardless of its greed until they are indeed satisfied.

While this is trying to be related to the city having a lifelike personality, I feel that by explaining how the city has needs and is desperate for acceptance just as many of the city?s members are, this explanation can be completed. For example, in ?Bright Lights, Big City,? one could indeed make the assumption right from the start that the actual big city was New York City. Right from the title, we see that this city has bright lights, which can be related to being outgoing and sociable, and since we know that the city gets its personality from its members, the conclusion can be made that New York City is very boisterous and animated, just like its inhabitants.

After watching the movie ?Smoke,? a very different view...