Analyse af 'Living with strangers' og engelsk grammatik

ReunionThe lonely city lifeAll cultures and societies have unwritten rules and etiquettes that an outsider simply will not understand. From you are quite small you learn how to behave amongst other people and in society, this is called social norms and describes the acceptable behavior in a given situation. For example in a small society, it would be normal to everyone to greet all, while it would seem strange to say hello to a stranger in for example New York. We live more and more in small isolated communities, where we most of all think of our own needs and ourselves. A norm is often so integrated into the individual that it can cause serious norm conflicts if forced to, or even want to deviate from the norm, which has been followed up to now. This happens to Siri in the essay “Living with strangers”, as she moves from Minnesota where she grew up and into the great city of New York. She was met by a world vastly different from what she knew from Minnesota, and quickly learned that the social norms were quite different as well. She says among other things that it was boundary exceeding for her to be so close with people in the metro, as she usually was only with her family and boyfriend in Minnesota.City life is very free, which is perceived as beneficial by most. It has the ability to define itself, and select what you want and who you want to be.In the essay “living with strangers” Siri Hustvedt tells about her experience from her first apartment in New York. Where she looked at her neighbors as roommates, because she was witness to several acts, which should remain private. Overall she discusses the difference between living in a big city or in the countryside, and the different social rules at this places.Early in Siris essay you get the feeling that she feels alone and lonely in a big city like New York, where people otherwise surround her. This feeling, the majority of people who live in a big city probably had, and therefore easier to relate to Siris history. Studies show, however, that many people or individuals feel more lonely in the big cities than in the small community where everyone knows everyone, because they prioritize their career and job opportunities much higher than family. You do not know the many people you pass on the street, and all these people do not know who you are, and their interest is not for you. You experience it easy to be anonym and lonely in the big crowd. On the other hand opens cities also numerous social contacts and a number of network crisscross. One is forced to live close, meet others and take into account, stand in line and respect other people.The irony in this issue of loneliness is that you feel lonely, even though people who speak the same language surround you.How to respect other people and behave has Charlies father in the short story “Reunion” never learned. In “Reunion” by John Cheever we meet a teenage boy, who has not seen his father for three years. The son, Charlie is approximately 17 years, he travels alone and meets his father in New York at Grand Central Station. His father is an alcoholic, and divorced from the boy’s mother. Because of his father’s rude and insolence to staff the boy and his father goes from bar to bar, and they are not welcome nowhere. This meeting was the last time Charlie saw his father. Charlie doesn’t comment on his father’s behavior, he describes only. The only active thing he does is he’s got to reach his train; otherwise he tries just to escape the situation.John Cheever struggled with alcoholism himself like Charlie’s father, and the character of the father indeed drinks gin. The father may feel lonely and alone, as he has chosen to leave his family and has not seen his son for over three years. He is another example of a lonely career man who comforts himself by drinking alcohol. The father may also have left his family for other reasons, as out cripple equality, pity or indifference.Both Siri Hustvedt’s essay “Living with strangers” and in “Reunion” also deals with themes of selfishness and rudeness. Siri says among other things, an incident on the train where a strange man spat at her and her husband without an acceptable reason. Overall think all people most to themselves, and put his own needs ahead of others. In the light of this, I can conclude that there are differences in norms and ideals in the various communities, such as in a bug city like New York and in a small provincial town. Siri saw these substantial differences in culture, when she moved to New York, this resulted in that she felt wrong crowd and lonely. Loneliness is a returning problem among many people who live in big cities, because they have chosen careers over their family. This is among other things also in the short story “reunion” which deals with a father who has chosen his family from, most likely on the basis of career. Words: 905