1. What is your impression of the opening line of White’s book: “New York bestows gifts of loneliness and the gifts of privacy.” Do you agree or disagree with White? If so, why? If not, why not? How effective is the opening? What does it accomplish, if anything?

In the opening line of White’s book, “New York bestows gifts of loneliness and the gifts of privacy”, I get the impression that he is informing readers what a privilege it is to get these aspects of life in a city most would not expect. The word “gift” lets me know that he is looking at this as a positive. I agree with White about the gift of privacy. As humans this is something we need and something we crave. On the other hand, I personally do not seek or enjoy loneliness. I am very much a social individual whom enjoys the company of others. The opening is very effective in the sense that right off the bat readers can see that he has a new perspective on New York and it might not be what the average would expect. It encourages myself as a reader to keep going and I become thoroughly intrigued. It accomplishes giving the readers an immediate feel about what it means to be in New York without even scanning to the second sentence.

2. How and why does the writer use lists in this book?

White uses lists in this book rather melodically. Mimicking similar styles of Walt Whitman, White manages to take a sentence that many would read as grammatically incorrect and give it flare and meaning. Each list was hand crafted to prove a point such as how the city has drastic differences yet something to offer to everyone. For example, “..art and commerce and sport and religion and entertainment and finance..” (White 19).