The Colossus of New York. Paper Example

Did you know there are reasons that make one a New Yorker? The Colossus of New York was a book about the history of New York City that was published in 2003 by Colson Whitehead. The book was classified under travel literature. The book gives several ideas on becoming a New Yorker. Colson Whitehead explains the city which he refers to as "the city that never sleeps" through chains of illustrations, contemplations and also his own personal experiences. One is a New Yorker if he or she can notice changes in the city.

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Colson Whitehead in the first chapter of the book which is titled 'city limits' he says that one really becomes a New Yorker when what was there before looks more rigid than whatever that is there at the moment. This compares what people who don't live permanently in New York or those that visit time to time against what those that were born and bred in the city see it. According to the writer one truly becomes a New Yorker when the can observe the change. He says that a New Yorker is the person who says "that use to be a certain place or joint" but it has since changed and new businesses are running in the same particular places. According to Colson, one is still not a New Yorker if he only knows what is there at the moment, one doesn't know New York if he doesn't have such memories. He says that many people walk in the New York streets each one of them looking for his own specific streets that are in his memories that can't be found because the city transforms overnight and the growth is so rapid. The places you knew after a very short time from the city are now completely different things or operations happening there. He says it's very confusing and that's how one knows he is a New Yorker. He summarizes this by saying that in New York you might never know that the time you are leaving the doorstep or a certain hangout joint or office it was the last day it was open. He says that you can never say goodbye to New York because no one really knows what is going to happen next if you are just a visitor or a passerby.

Colossus Whitehead also states that perhaps the day we notice that New York will last or continue even without us or our presence is the day we become New Yorkers. The author explains that we should let New York be. The city doesn't judge us from our former self's and we should return the same favor. He explains that as much as we remember the city with certain places and memories we should learn to accept and embrace the change and not try to fix it. New York is a busy city and very big. The author says that some people don't want to go back to their home towns because they will look too small. Being a busy town development is a rapid thing where changes in businesses and infrastructure happen always. It is a 24 clock city where he says people live every moment like they are late for the last train. He also adds that we should hold on and appreciate old apartments if we come across them, a pay accolade as they are the stewards for our remakes. The writer says that we should let the city be an acceptable change. He says it's hard to accept or think that some building s or places will be covered by something new. We should accept changes because everyone was new at some given time. Accepting that the city will grow or move on even without us is one other way of becoming a New Yorker according to colossus Whitehead.

I believe a New Yorker is people living and working in the city who enable the growth and betterment of the city. He or she might have moved to the city from another town or country but whatever they do affects the city positively. Research says that you have to live in the city for at least ten years to call yourself a New Yorker, some more and some it takes life. This might be true in the perception of knowing places but if you can offer something for the city's development or you pay taxes in the city you should qualify to be a New Yorker. There are people who learn cultures faster than others. Abe a person who was born in the city or people who participate in the positive progress of the city and have completely relocated there. A New Yorker is a person who lets the city be, looks forward to its development. A true New Yorker should not hold the city down as I don't hold us down.

A New Yorker is a person who can notice changes in the city. According to the colossus, you are a New Yorker if what was there is more rig than what is there right now. It has a person have this type of memories he can be referred to as a New Yorker according to the book. Knowing who is a New Yorker is important in self-evaluations and it also helps in learning more about the city itself.