“New York seems able to reproduce almost any natural phenomenon if it’s in the mood.”

The excerpt was taken from E.B. White’s short work, “Tumbleweed,” which was published back in 1957.  The work is extremely short and sweet, but its reminds readers just how magical New York City can be.  More times than not, native New Yorkers lose themselves in their daily endeavors and fail to appreciate the wonders that the city has to offer its inhabitants. However, not everything is plain sight to see and may take time to understand.

In the work, a group of individuals, presumably from a small Midwest town, came across a rolling Christmas tree on a deserted street  which reminded them of a bumbling Tumbleweed from their days on the plains.  Although many years have passed since the last time that they felt this level of excitement, the rolling Christmas tree represents their past and true sense of self.

I like the ‘Crossing the Street’ reading as I am a vigilant pedestrian who enjoys looking in both direction of a street even if I’m walking on a one-way street.  I love that White wrote this as it gives readers a real sense of how so many New Yorkers, at least back then, are aware of where they are walking. Today, I’m not so sure how many New Yorkers pay close attention while crossing the street; this is based on what I have witnessed.  I did not fully understand White’s analogy to the Cosmos, and if someone can explain that to me in further details that would help.

“Crossing The Street” by EB White was my particular favorite in “The New Yorker” series because it is so easily relatable to every New Yorker, or at least myself. In this story White points out how New Yorkers instinctively know which way to look for oncoming traffic when crossing the street, yet before crossing still always take a quick second to look the other way as well, regardless of the fact that it’s a one-way street. He describes it as “the last sacrifice on the alter of human fallibility” (pg. 196). Not surprisingly, White has induced comedy into his writing to convey the innate characteristics of New Yorkers. In this case, it is their unreasonable distrust towards the “self-inflicted cosmos”, and slightly pessimistic thinking (i.e. that a fire truck will drive down a one-way and “mow down the faithful and meek”). I could’t help but laugh when reading that line.

The pieces that E.B White wrote for The New Yorker gives insight into the nuances of the city. Each piece gives a different perspective into the people, places, things, and even animals that coexist in this one microcosm. His love for the city is also very apparent in many of the pieces, but especially in the last one that is entitled “New York” where in the last line he says “Yet we somehow tasted New York on our tongue in a great, overpowering draught, and felt that to sail away from so intoxicating a place would be unbearable, even for a brief spell.” (White).

His prose is filled with observations about New York that are both humorous and truthful at the same time. For example, in “The Lure of New York” when a Daily News photographer asked people why they loved New York, he got typical answers from some of the people that he asked. However, the most humorous answer came from a Greek man who said “In New York you can buy things so late at night.” This is still true today, with 24 hour Duane Reades and McDonald’s drive-throughs. However, this has become true for people in other parts of the country and worldwide with the introduction of the internet and websites like Amazon where a wide array of things can be bought at any hour of the day or night.

Conversely, some of the observations that White makes are more serious in tone. In “New York’s Cocktail” he comments on the smog problem that New York is experiencing due to the combination of fog and smoke from exhaust and various other forms of pollution. He calls this combination “the city’s cocktail” with one ‘ingredient’ (fog) coming from nature, while the other, the smoke, is a man made phenomenon. White’s observation and analysis of the smog is very ahead of its time because people were not yet aware of the dangers of pollution. Later in the essay White goes on to say “Certainly no other animal fouls its nest so cheerfully and persistently as Man, or acts so surprised or sore about it afterwards” about the self imposed consequences of the pollution. White would probably be pleased to see all the environmental activism and preservation that is happening in the present day.

The New York Garbageman, by E.B. White, sounds satirical.

White’s exaggerated diction and similes suggest that the New York garbageman annoys the community.

“There is no one in all New York we envy more than the garbageman.” This first sentence puts the garbageman on a pedestal of mockery as ALL of New York feel a type of way about them. White uses “envy” to describe the feelings toward the men who pick up garbage for a living. To say that New Yorkers envy garbagemen must mean that their feeling to be like them is very strong.

“Not even a fireman gets so much fun out of life.” This following sentence compares garbagemen to someone respected and considered a hero. Not to undermine the service garbagemen provide today, but White, in 1930, draws a contrast between the two.

White describes how the garbageman performs the job. The garbageman “goes banging down the street without a thought for anyone. He clatters his cans…he scatters ashes…is shrewd in measuring his pace.” White’s diction portrays the garbageman as careless and reckless.

When White talks about the garbageman scattering the ashes, he refers back to the time when that was a resolved controversy and one-horse dump carts were covered. Perhaps others had a problem with scattering ashes in the wind, but White chooses to compare the garbageman to that particular circumstance.

The garbageman drives how he pleases through “red lights and green, and backs his truck over the crossing with more privilege than a baby carriage on Fifth Avenue.” Babies are innocent and vulnerable creatures that the garbageman has no regard for, as suggested in the text.

Pirates have a reputation of being sneaky, greedy, and loud. White compares the garbageman to a pirate.

The last line says, “[The garbagemen] have the town by the tail and they know it.” This plays along with the idea that garbagemen think they have power in the city and act as if they do.

In The New Yorker, E.B. White described birds as “deliberately endur[ing] the hardships of life in town when the wide, fruitful country is theirs for the asking,” something that parallels the lives of New Yorkers today (White 191). Although many have the option to live in other parts of the world that may be less crowded and chaotic, they, like the birds, choose to live here. This was an interesting and noteworthy observation that remains true today.
White’s commentary on garbage men introduced a perspective I had previously not considered. I have always credited garbage men for their work as it requires long hours of dealing with rather unpleasant situations. White, however, suggests “there is no one we envy more than the garbage man” as he gets “so much fun out of life” and is someone we “expect to burst into song” (White 195). This view follows White’s style of providing untraditional and unique perspectives to people and situations.
I appreciate White’s continuous observation of human nature and am confident I will be reminded of his commentary as I travel the streets of New York. When crossing the street, for example, I will recall White’s observation that although a street may be one-way, pedestrians always glance in the opposite direction even though no car should be coming that way (White 195).
White revisits the different types of New Yorkers and describes a conflict that exists between those visiting versus those residing in the city. He illustrates this on page 196 when discussing the residents’ frustration with suburban drivers visiting Manhattan for the weekend (White 196).
White’s concluding sentence on page 208 suggests that despite the challenges the city poses, New Yorkers would find it “unbearable” to leave. I agree with White that New York is always “slightly incredible,” regardless of how accustomed one is to the city, thus making the challenges and difficulties a little more bearable (White 200).