Free «United States Popular Culture: the Anti-Urban Ethos» Essay Sample

Ambivalence and antipathy of the U.S. about urban life is widely depicted and discussed in various means of mass communications, including movies, songs, poetry, literature, TV shows, etc. Life in the big cities of the United Stated does not always come with extended economic and social opportunities to continue education in good schools and getting nice jobs and housing. Sometimes, life in the large mega cities is also associated with poverty, discrimination and a great variety of social conflicts as well and crimes.

Consider the movie “Precious” that is a screened version directed by Lee Daniels of the novel “Push” written by Sapphire. This movie describes life of the young black skinned girl in the big city. It addresses the racial, cultural and social problems of life in big city that are faced by young black people.

Claireece Precious Jones is a pregnant and obese teenage girl. The plot of the story describes her complicated life in the city that included constant private abuse and complete neglect of public. The story is taking place in Harlem, a center of black people culture development in the end of the twentieth century.

Movie shows cultural and social life of black people in the city of the end of the twentieth century. A very interesting aspect that attracts attention is the limitations that black people faced in big cities. Those included limited access to education of any type, either high school or college, university. Black people moved to big city of Harlem with aspirations to continue their education, obtain degree from good school and get good job. However, as it is depicted in the movie, those aspirations often remained unattained.

At the same time, movie vividly depicts poor social and economic conditions of black people. Limited economic possibilities of black people living in big city’s poor neighborhood were further restricted by the discrimination and racism. Young people were facing numerous obstacles to get a good decently paid job.

Harlem neighborhood that is depicted in the movie describes poor and economically under developed parts of the New York city. Social and economic questions that are depicted in the movie raise crucial and important questions that should attract attention of public and neighboring communities, as well as local authorities.