"New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There’s nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
lets hear it for New York, New York, New York"
These lines from the song Empire State of Mind (2009) by the famous American rapper, record producer and entrepreneur Jay-Z, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, reveal the challenge of capturing the City of New York in words or text. New York City is on the one hand celebrated as the place "where dreams are made of", whose "streets will make you feel brand new" and whose "lights will inspire you", but on the other hand also as a "[c]oncrete jungle".
The contrasting, yet at the same time very tempting ideas of the ’City that Never Sleeps’ make it not only the most popular city in the United States, but also the most "dynamic, varied and perplexing in the world" (Gates ix). Robert A. Gates further describes the challenge for the writer, singer or song- writer: "There are no standards [one] can grasp; no guidelines [one] can follow", because [t]he City presents no standard language, philosophy, or neighborhood that can be labelled as typically New York" (ix).
In order to understand the city and its influences at least to some extent, it might be useful to talk about the name ’New York’ and the events in history that helped to make it the most important and most famous city in the world.
When people talk about New York, the City of New York is referred to and more precisely the most densely populated borough of Manhattan. In 1898, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island were consolidated to the City of New York, which is part of the state of New York. Therefore, New York and New York City are almost always used synonymously and refer to the same part of the city: Manhattan.
It can be subdivided into Lower, Midtown, and Uptown regions. Westbound the Hudson River divides the city from New Jersey and East Manhattan is separated from Long Island by the East River. Other frequently used nicknames are ’The Big Apple’, ’Gotham’, ’Center of the Universe’, ’The City that Never Sleeps’ and ’The Capital of the World’.
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The American City as Metaphor
- 3 Pictures of New York City
- 3.1 Panorama of the City
- 3.1.1 John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer
- 3.2 Into the City
- 3.2.1 The Polarized City of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth and Stephen Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets
- 3.3 The Metaphysical City
- 3.3.1 Paul Auster's City of Glass
- 4 Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This thesis analyzes how New York City is depicted and interpreted as a metaphor in selected American texts. It examines the city's multifaceted representation in literature, exploring how different authors utilize New York as a symbolic backdrop to their narratives. The analysis moves from a broad panoramic view to a more focused examination of specific neighborhoods and their social dynamics, concluding with a discussion of a more modern, metaphysical interpretation.
- New York City as a literary metaphor
- The evolving image of New York across different literary periods
- The city's representation of social and economic disparities
- The role of urban geography in shaping narrative meaning
- Diverse interpretations of New York's identity and character
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the thesis by establishing the multifaceted nature of New York City's image. It contrasts the idealized vision of the city – a place of dreams and opportunity – with its harsher realities, a "concrete jungle." The chapter explores the challenges of capturing New York's essence in literature, highlighting the city's dynamism and lack of a singular defining characteristic. It briefly touches upon the historical events, particularly the War of 1812 and the completion of the Erie Canal, which contributed to New York's growth and prominence as a major metropolis, attracting massive waves of immigration and shaping its complex social landscape. The introduction also underscores the thesis's central goal: to examine how different authors use New York City as a metaphor in their literary works.
2 The American City as Metaphor: This chapter, while not directly summarized in the provided text, would likely explore the theoretical underpinnings of using a city as a metaphor in literature. It would likely define the concept of metaphor and analyze how New York's unique characteristics lend themselves to metaphorical interpretations. This chapter would likely serve as a foundation for the subsequent chapters, which analyze specific literary works portraying New York City. It might delve into existing literary criticism on the use of urban spaces as metaphors and propose a framework for the subsequent analysis.
3 Pictures of New York City: This chapter, encompassing several sub-chapters, offers a multi-faceted view of New York City's literary portrayal. It likely begins with a broad overview, progressing to more focused analyses of particular aspects and authors. The chapter examines the city through varying lenses, encompassing a wide range of perspectives and interpretations of the city's image throughout history.
Keywords
New York City, American literature, urban metaphor, social commentary, literary analysis, John Dos Passos, Edith Wharton, Stephen Crane, Paul Auster, immigration, social stratification, urban geography, literary representation.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the main topic of this thesis?
This thesis analyzes how New York City is depicted and interpreted as a metaphor in selected American literary texts. It explores how different authors use the city as a symbolic backdrop, examining its multifaceted representation across various literary periods.
What are the key themes explored in the thesis?
Key themes include New York City as a literary metaphor; the evolving image of New York across different literary periods; the city's representation of social and economic disparities; the role of urban geography in shaping narrative meaning; and diverse interpretations of New York's identity and character.
Which authors and works are analyzed in the thesis?
The thesis analyzes works by John Dos Passos (Manhattan Transfer), Edith Wharton (The House of Mirth), Stephen Crane (Maggie: A Girl of the Streets), and Paul Auster (City of Glass). The analysis focuses on how these authors utilize New York City as a metaphor within their narratives.
How is the thesis structured?
The thesis is structured into four chapters: an introduction setting the context and outlining the thesis's objectives; a chapter exploring the theoretical underpinnings of using a city as a literary metaphor; a main chapter analyzing different portrayals of New York City in literature, broken down into sub-chapters focusing on panoramic views, specific neighborhoods, and metaphysical interpretations; and a conclusion.
What is the approach taken in analyzing the literary works?
The analysis moves from a broad, panoramic view of New York City to a more focused examination of specific neighborhoods and their social dynamics. It progresses to a discussion of a more modern, metaphysical interpretation of the city in literature.
What is the significance of the historical context?
The thesis acknowledges the historical context of New York City's development, mentioning events like the War of 1812 and the completion of the Erie Canal, highlighting their contribution to the city's growth and the resulting waves of immigration that shaped its complex social landscape.
What are the keywords associated with this thesis?
Keywords include: New York City, American literature, urban metaphor, social commentary, literary analysis, John Dos Passos, Edith Wharton, Stephen Crane, Paul Auster, immigration, social stratification, urban geography, and literary representation.
What is the overall goal of the thesis?
The central goal is to examine how different authors utilize New York City as a metaphor in their literary works, exploring the city's multifaceted and evolving representation across time and differing perspectives.
- Quote paper
- Kim Vahnenbruck (Author), 2012, New York City as Metaphor in Selected American Texts, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/195304
