New York City: A Literary Analysis

The city of New York, in the early 1900s (and even now), has been depicted in various ways through the views and experiences of its own inhabitants, tourists, passerbys, and even legends in literature; authors who have lived in and/or written about the diverse city. Some literary works have made reference to the city as a great place to be and even depicted it as “the most fatally fascinating thing in America.” (Johnson 387). While other authors have depicted New York City in a completely different light, referring to it as a place being taken over by tourists/white people or saying that it’s a dangerous place to be. Some written works that have glorified New York City are “The Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man” by James Weldon Johnson and “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather. Some literary works that have de-glorified the city are “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “When the Negro was in Vogue” by Langston
This story talks about people love the city and seem to be willing to do anything in order to remain there or just be there in general. The author compares it to a drug in this sense, stating that the city is an addiction. This work also admires the scenery and eye catching features of the city, especially the sun which, to the author, was “…turning the waters of the bay to glistening gold” and making “the green islands on either side, in spite of their warlike mountings, [look] calm and peaceful” (Johnson 387). In this work, James Weldon Johnson depicts the city as something that controls or has a hold on the people who come here “I began to feel the dread power of the city; the crowds, the lights, the excitement, the gayety” (Johnson 387). He was trying to convey all of the appealing features the city had that drew people in and made them never wanting to leave, thus people doing everything in their power to remain in this exciting