New York is, hands down, one of the most diverse cities I know. It has people from all over the world, from various backgrounds and social classes, coming together in this one metropolis. But for what? Why do these people choose New York?

Often times, when people think of coming to NYC, they think of all the crazy opportunities that they’d be given and how this city is where one can ultimately become successful and financially well off. However, when people finally arrive in NY, a lot of them realize that there are millions of other people just like them that all want the same thing: to be successful and make money! And that’s when these hopeful people with all these wonderful dreams get slapped in the face with the truth. Wake up call: this city is all about survival of the fittest, and if you want to become a “somebody” in this city, you just might have to get your hands a little dirty. And yes, this notion of mine might not apply to everyone, but it sure as hell does apply to many New Yorkers who want to quickly rise up in the social ladder.

Movies often do a good job in portraying the three stereotypical class divisions: the poor (who live in slums and will resort to anything to make fast money), the middle class (who work their butts off and aspire to be like the rich), and the upper class (who are affluent, can get their way around the law, and in many cases, acquire their money through illegal practices).

In the movie “Taxi Driver” (1976), director Martin Scorsese tells the story of a former US Marine, Travis Bickle, who suffers from insomnia and therefore, takes on the job of a night-time taxi driver. The movie is narrated through Travis’ point of view. He describes the defiled city of NY as one full of slums, filthy criminals, and prostitutes. The setting of the film conveys that people in the city, especially from the lower class, will go to just about any lengths to survive. People will rob others, kills others, and sell themselves to strangers just to make a quick buck.

Speaking of doing just about anything for money, Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street” tells the story of an ambitious junior stockbroker on Wall Street, Bud Fox, who partook in inside trading to rise to the top and got arrested. Initially, Bud was part of the working class. He idolized his hero, Gordon Gekko, a notorious Wall Street player. Gekko was loaded with money, literally, and yet he was still greedy for more. He took advantage of Bud, who wanted to get easy money and rise in class, and convinced him to do inside trading for him. When Bud finally realized that Gekko wasn’t a friend, but an enemy, it was too late. He had already lost the girl he liked, betrayed his father, and was looking at jail time.

The truth is, it sucks that being on top isn’t for everyone. I’m sure that a lot of us would like a taste of the “good life.” I definitely feel like its possible for many of us to rise to that class, but it’s going to be hard, no doubt about it! In the city where everyone from all different classes is trying to rise up in status, it becomes really difficult to make it to the top alive and more importantly, mentally SANE! Charles Darwin was absolutely right; this city is all about survival of the fittest; you got to have what it takes to make it!