Christopher Columbus once said, “Riches don’t make a man rich, they only make him busier.” Columbus’s quote correctly demonstrates that for most, getting money will not lead to satisfaction- it will only lead to the want of more money.
When I think of Uptown New York City, wads of cash, mansions, limousines, and snobbish people come to mind. In my head, a rich person lives extravagantly– too extravagantly. I imagine a rich New Yorker to be the kind of person who struts the streets like they own them and who always assumes superiority (and who of course throws and attends lavish parties).
Moreover, I tend to associate the wealthy with arrogance, deceit, and ruthlessness. While many receive their wealth and status from hard work, I think so many more rise to wealth as a result of under-the-table dealings, cheating, and stepping on others. There are also a good number of those who receive their share from generous inheritance.
In a dog eat dog society competitors do whatever it takes to get ahead. And I think that at a certain point, even those who have risen from hard and honest work may get so absorbed in moving forward and getting farther and farther ahead that they will do so by any means, including cheating, lying, stealing, etc. After all, so many others have done it with impunity, why can’t they? This again relates to Columbus’s quote, as the rich have the tendency to want more and more (even though they probably have more than enough money to guarantee their great-great-great-great grandkids a luxurious life).
I do not watch many films, but of the ones I have watched I think that the movie Wall Street (Stone 1987) is a great representation of my perception of Uptown New York City. The movie illustrates the story of an over ambitious stockbroker, Bud Fox. As a stockbroker, Bud works hard and honestly. However, Bud is unsatisfied with his current rank and so he becomes involved with Gordon Gekko, a dishonest multimillionaire. Due to pressure from Gekko and Bud’s unwavering determination to get to the top, Bud illegally takes part in insider trading. Bud’s compliance with Gekko shows the eagerness of the lower classes to become rich. Bud traded his moral values for money and I think a lot of people in our society have done the same. Because Bud eventually pays the price of his actions by going to jail, Oliver Stone shows that justice, even in NYC, is attainable, and although some may get away with cheating for a short while, their triumph will end eventually.
Gekko’s plan to wreck the Blue Star Airlines Company for a multimillion-dollar profit paints the rich as pitiless, greedy, and unsatisfied, a similar relation to the one I often draw. Also, not only does Stone represent rich New Yorkers through Bud and Gekko, Stone also shows Uptown NYC as the center of money and importance. In fact, there are several scenes where the busy streets and tall skyscrapers are shown with an air of grandeur.
It is interesting to note that this film is timeless- it is still relevant in today’s NYC and probably will continue to be so for the next 100 years. I think this film accurately portrays my idea of wealthy New York as it demonstrates that once you’re in the “game” it’s hard to get out and nearly impossible to be a player if you are unwilling to cheat and crush those beneath you.
