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).