DEVRY INSTITUTE, NORTH BRUNSWICK
The Differences between Countr !n" Cit S#!ce
Rebecc! $i%uero!
DeVry 2/9/2014
2 Rebecca Figueroa ENGL108
The Differences between Country and City S ace
The idea of country ortrays a s ecific cu!ture surrounded by the i"age of eace and si" !icity# The city re resents chaos and fast$!i%ing# The "ain difference between country %ersus city is how each co""unity uti!i&es their s ace# 'oth essays describe the s ace each fa"i!y !i%ed in and how they fa"i!iari&ed the"se!%es with their new en%iron"ent# Each writer e( resses a different rocess of o erating their s ace# )ates !i%ed in a discreet area that cou!d house three generations of her fa"i!y whi!e growing cro s si"u!taneous!y# She grew u in an area where each ho"e was far a art fro" one another# )n the other hand* Danticat was raised in the city where noise and cri"e did not see" out of the ordinary# The difference between both s aces beco"es a arent when Danticat e( !ained her !i%ing conditions+
,hen - was fourteen years o!d* we !i%ed in a si($story bric. bui!ding in a cu!$de$sac off of F!atbush /%enue* in 'roo.!yn* ca!!ed ,estbury Court# 'eneath the bui!ding ran a subway station through which ratt!ed the D* 0 and 1 train e%ery fifteen "inutes or so# Though there was graffiti on "ost of the wa!!s of ,estbury Court* and hi!!s of trash i!ed u outside* and though the e!e%ator wasn2t a!ways there when we o ened the door to ste
3 inside and the heat and water weren2t a!ways on* - ne%er drea"ed of !ea%ing ,estbury Court unti! the year of the fire# 3 # 456 'ased off how )ates and Danticat e( !ained their s ace* we !earn that the city is "ore o u!ated with eo !e and noise# The country area is "ore s acious and 7uiet# -t a!so see"s that if a disaster were to ha en* there is no rush to fi(
anything# -n the city* because there is such a high de"and for housing* etc#* the s ace needs to be fi(ed right away# )ates su fo!!owing assage+ For a !ong ti"e* the s"e!! of wood s"o.e* scorch* er%aded the air of 0i!!ers ort* the fresh* da" s"e!! of earth su!!ied by its resence# Neighbors co" !ained that the ,eide! house shou!d be ra&ed at the county2s e( ense* bu!!do&ed o%er* and the ro erty so!d# 'ut nothing was done for years# ,ho .nows why8 ,hen - went away to co!!ege* the o!d fa!!ing$down house was sti!! there# 3 # 9016 - resu"e the reason for the house sti!! re"aining is because in the countryside there is an abundance of s ace# To .ee and o!d house standing does not re%ent new ho"eowners fro" "o%ing into the neighborhood# -n fact* it "ight ta.e "ore wor. and ti"e to rebui!d it# -n Danticat2s essay* she shows e%idence that housing is !i"ited and abandoned !aces "ust be rebui!t as soon as ossib!e# For e(a" !e* she states* :/ year !ater* after the a art"ent was o!ished and ainted* two b!ind ;aitian brothers and their sister "o%ed in< 3 # 4=6 The "a>ority of "y !ife - s ent !i%ing in 'roo.!yn* New ?or.# 'roo.!yn is an e(tre"e!y o%er o u!ated and fu!! of cri"e and noise# /!though - cannot reca!! orts this in her essay with her
4 anything dangerous ha ening on "y b!oc.* - .new it was not a good !ace to
!i%e# E%eryone wou!d gather on the b!oc. and o en the fire hydrant to !ay in the water on sunny days# There was "adness at a!! hours of the day and night# /fter about thirteen years* - re!ocated to Fran.!in* New @ersey# The area in which - !i%ed was "ost!y far"!and# /ny way you dro%e you saw horses* cows* cornfie!ds* etc# -t was a 7uiet neighborhood where each house was about a "i!e away# /t night* a!! you cou!d hear was natureA cric.ets* trees swaying* and the wind# -t was eacefu!* yet it was a rough transition for "e# - grew accusto"ed to the noise and the sense of ci%i!i&ation that ca"e with the city !ife# ,e can te!! fro" a!! these e(a" !es that s ace is di%ided and used different!y in the city by co" arison to how it is used in the country# The city is "ore o u!ated where it see"s e%eryone is on to of each other as o osed to
the country which is "ore s read out and o en# Each erson hand!es their s ace in their own way# De ending on where you !i%e wi!! deter"ine how you use that s ace# /fter reading both essays* - was ab!e to fu!!y understand the differences between country and city s ace#
5 References
Danticat* E# 3n#d#6# ,estbury court# Retrie%ed )ctober 1=* 901B* fro" htt +CCwww#goog!e#co"Cur!8 saDtErctD>E7DEesrcDsEfr"D1EsourceDwebEcdD E%edD0CC.1F>//Eur!Dhtt FB/F9FF9Feng!ish#basd#.19#wi#us F9F"ocars.iF9Fco!!egeeng!ish F9F,EST'GR?C)GRT#rtfEeiD(?hiGr7gH8;Cyw;NnoD?/1EusgD/F1 >CNFyI(bfG"wRgg0d1@rG7F5aIt1Gaw
)ates* @# 31==4* )ctober6# They a!! >ust went away# The New ?or.er# Retrie%ed )ctober =* 901B* fro" htt +CCwww#newyor.er#co"Carchi%eC1==4C10C15C1==4J10J15J1I8JTN?JC /RDSJ000BIBKB8
