Living in the Crowd

The city is a place of busy crowds, packed stores, lunatic drivers, and life. It seems as if nothing has changed in this aspect, because from E.B. White’s account of the city, it is still a spectacular and busy place to be. Crowds rush in from all over the world, making the city a diverse place. White’s Here is New York makes it clear that so much has happened and so much continues to happen here. People in moving crowds tend to lose their identity, as they become defined by the crowd. But that’s a disappointing misconception, as the difference in people is what makes up this nation. The chaos of the city may make it seem impossible to follow one specific person around for a day, but Edgar Allen Poe’s The Man of the Crowd describes a man of the city. In contrast to the idea of individuality, the old man Poe described enjoyed being in crowds. He wanted to live in a crowd of people and be surrounded by people, because he disliked being alone. The old man really had no destination – it was the crowd in the city that made him wander around stores and other places. In the hustle and bustle of things, some people actually find solace in the fast-paced life, making it harder to hold onto their individuality. Being in crowds is one thing, but becoming one with the crowd is giving up a chance to be expressive and to be different. In my life, I would never give up that opportunity. I enjoy being in a city where I can be a part of a crowd and still stand out.