What is New York?

New York captivates its inhabitants with a unique sense of comfort and ambition. Although E.B. White’s Here is New York and Cynthia Ozick’s The Synthetic Sublime portray New York in slightly different manners, both authors provide an interesting outlook on New York. White introduces New York as a cutthroat, enigmatic city, while Ozick introduces New York as a constantly changing city. However, New York can seldom be described in a couple words. Each person has his or her perspective of New York and each one will be different from the other.

“New York is the concentrate of art and commerce and sport and religion and entertainment and finance, bringing to a single compact arena the gladiator, the evangelist, the promoter, the actor, the trader and the merchant” (White 696). New York is a conglomerate of races, ideologies, religions, careers, and etcetera. Every type of person can be represented in New York and no person will ever feel ostracized from this city. Whether it’s a tourist or a native New Yorker, each person has a unique background. I grew up in a town that mainly consisted of Irish Roman Catholics and to be engulfed in such a diverse city provides me with a strange sense of comfort. I can be whoever I want and not be criticized. New York and its inhabitants are extremely open-minded and welcoming, which is why so many people come to New York to pursue their dreams. White perfectly encompasses this belief by asserting that “the city is like poetry; it compresses all life, all races and breeds, into a small island and adds music and the accompaniment of internal engines” (White 700).

White states “New York is the city of opportunity” (704). Most people come to the city to look for opportunities, both professional and personal. This belief has attracted immigrants from all over the world, seeking a better life in the “Land of Opportunity.” New York City provides one with the opportunity to succeed, but he or she needs to be able to work for that success. For the first time ever, I have been overwhelmed with responsibility and freedom. My parents no longer shelter me from the “real” world. I am living amongst millions of focused people with careers and life plans. After seeing these people rush to work, I become motivated and determined to work hard. Although it makes me feel inadequate sometimes, my aspiration to succeed thrives with my neighbors. New York instills an ambitious mentality in anyone who visits, especially in those who plan to stay.

White implies that there are three New Yorks: “There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter – the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something” (White 698). Everyone has heard of that hackneyed story where the small town girl travels to New York to become a famous Broadway singer. Albeit it is trite, the stereotype has proven itself to be true on multiple occasions. New York is where dreams can come true as long as one works to achieve his or her goals. I completely agree with White’s statement and identify myself with the last New York. Although I was born in New York, I have lived in a small suburban community and never experienced the thrill of living in New York City’s fast-paced schedule. Each of these different types fabricates New York and creates a zealous, bustling city.

Ozick believes that “New York disappears…so that every seventy-five years or so another city bursts out, as if against nature – new shapes, new pursuits, new immigrants with their unfamiliar tongues and worried uneasy bustle… Catapult us forward a thousand years, and we won’t recognize the place; yet it is certain to be uninterruptedly, New York, populous, evolving, faithfully inconstant, magnetic, man-made, unnatural – the synthetic sublime” (Ozick 946-947). Most people are not concerned with this inevitable change of New York. It is impossible to predict how New York will change. In 75 years, many things will be different: culture, media, art, slang words, technology, and architecture. However, I disagree with Ozick that New York transforms into a completely new city; instead, I find that New York is gradually advancing and updating itself based upon previous foundations.

White concludes his view of New York by depicting the city as “uncomfortable and inconvenient; but New Yorkers temperamentally do not crave comfort and convenience – if they did they would live elsewhere” (710). In my opinion, the city does not emit an uncomfortable ambience, but the person feeling discomfort, perhaps, does not have the specific mindset to survive in the city. People in the city are purposeful and those who are not as ambitious will not triumph.

Ultimately, I strongly agree with statements from both E.B. White’s Here is New York and Cynthia Ozick’s The Synthetic Sublime. New York is a site bursting with liveliness, motivation, opportunity, and ambition. The diverse, versatile cluster of people located in the city creates New York’s vibrant “melting pot” culture, which people find comforting. New York does not exclude anyone; instead, it welcomes everyone, including tourists.