A City's Phenomenon - From Impersonality to Loneliness, and the Struggle for Emotional Satisfaction. Characteristics of a Metropolis such as New York.

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: gut, University of Cologne (Englisches Seminar), course: 'New York just like I pictured it: Skyscrapers and everything...', language: English, abstract: New York City probably is one of the most famous cities of the world, especially known - among other things - for its diversity, size, and way of life. With a population of 8,09 million people and an annual increase of 108,500 people1 as an average value, New York is a prime example for a modern metropolis of the 21st century. Such a metropolis typically displays numerous characteristics which are not - or just partly - applicable to a small town or to country life. No matter where many people live together, a typical life in a metropolis develops which considerably affects (especially elderly) people and influences their psychological or mental development. In literature and arts, keywords such as 'loneliness', 'solitude', or 'isolation' frequently turn up as side effects of living in a metropolis (such is the case with Edward Hopper, for example) and several studies took a close look at the question whether or not living in a metropolis makes people mentally sick. This academic assignment will try to design a characteristic picture of a city-dweller and the typical problems of living in a metropolis. Hereby, I will focus on the city of New York on the one hand, and on the psychological aspects in humans living in a metropolis, on the other hand. Under these aspects, I will furthermore try to analyze Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawks' (1942), and complete this academic assignment with a look at fringe groups and their status in a modern metropolis.