Living with Strangers is a non-fictional essay which discusses the many ways of behaving in different societies. Siri Hustvedt, the author of the short story, discusses the different rules and behaviors in the society of both a simple countryside and the big city of New York. Furthermore she confesses her opinions and use examples from her life to explain and substantiate the opinions.
Hustvedt starts off the story by telling the reader about the place she grew up, Minnesota.
Ground rules in Minnesota is: it is important always to greet one another even if you don’t know each other – otherwise you’re just being rude or a snob. The reader is also informed that one of the worst things you can be in Minnesota is in fact, a snob1.
Hustvedt moved to New York in 1978, where she from the very beginning, is mind blown by the difference of social behavior. She refers to the typical way of behaving in New York, as the “PRETEND IT ISN’T HAPPENING”´ behavior2.
Greeting everyone in New York will not make you popular or socially accepted – it will make you a freak. Besides - it isn’t possible to greet everyone you meet, because New York is full of people, every single minute of the day.
Hustvedt describes a subway trip in New York as an experience of intimate contact with her “body pressed so tightly against them, I could smell their hair oils, perfumes and sweet”3.
An intimacy she would only experience with her boyfriend or family back in Minnesota.
As mentioned before, the “PRETEND IT ISN’T HAPPENING” behavior is floating like a thick cloud over the New Yorkers. It’s a way of coping with the strange behaviors some people occasionally perform at public places. The thing is to simply ignore the fact that it happened. Several examples a...
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... To convince the reader, Siri Hustvedt uses examples from her own life, and furthermore she explains her feelings in the certain situations. This is the one of the three forms of appeal, the one called pathos. Pathos is used so the reader can relate to what’s being mediated.
“Living with Strangers” isn’t a comparison between villages and big cities, but more a discussion of ways to adapt in the society around you. Therefore it’s also very easy to discover the fact that symbolism and whimsical words aren’t used - the language is down-to-earth and simple.
Although the urban life can be a bit “snobbish” and overwhelming in every way, it doesn’t seem like Siri Hustvedt has any regrets of moving to the big city.
The fact that you’re allowed to behave in many different ways, and that you are not forced to greet every bypassing stranger, seems to please Siri Hustvedt.
When Americans greet one another a handshake and smile will do, this is similar in Italian culture, when meeting a stranger or business acquaintance. However, when family and friends greet each other, a hug and kiss is usually in order. In American culture, it is very rare to see two gentleman hug, even if they are related; in Italian culture, that is the customary greeting between male family members and friends. Air kissing is another tradition in Italy, in America, no one air kisses, and most kissing is only done in intimate relationships (Reavis, 2014). It is also a part of the Italian culture for many households to take a nap between the hours of 1 PM and 3 PM. The Italian culture is also laid back, and most Italians are not in a hurry. It is the Italian way to slow down and enjoy life (Miller, 2015). This is definitely not the American lifestyle, maybe we should slow down and pay attention to the
Sorrells, Helen. "From a Correct Address in a Suburb of a Major City." Literature: TheHuman Experience. Ed. Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996. 301-302.
1991 and “Goodbye To All That” written in 1968, the idea that New York is a trap that will lure people in with false promises of an easy life, and once their here, miserable or
The movie Crash examines the interpersonal communications that exists between different groups’ of people. In this film, characters are highlighted by the contact that occurs when disparate people are thrown together in large urban settings. Crash displays extreme instances of racism and shows how the thought, feeling, and behavior of individuals are influenced by actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings. My analysis will focus on Social Cognition and how people process, and apply information about other people and social situations.
It's usual to greet others when walking into a waiting room, small business or train compartment. A simple Guten Tag or, in southern Germany, Gruess Gott, is in order.
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Formal greeting calls for a prolonged handshake with the left hand to support the right arm and direct eye contact to show respect
In the novel Of Mice and Men, written during the Great Depression, loneliness is a very important theme. Albert Schweitzer said, “We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.” Throughout the story loneliness has impacted the lives of many migrant workers during
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Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. New York: Crown Publishers, 2012. 10. Print.
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To greet the other, people greet each other by bowing only! A bow can range from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the