In “The Metropolis and Mental Life,” Georg Simmel emphasizes on seven characteristics of urban life; one of the characteristics is an eccentricity which derives from an effort to make “oneself noticeable.” The eccentricity is a continuously occurring theme in the modern, urban literature; “The Old House at Home” and “Los Angeles Notebook” approach this issue in different ways. While Joseph Mitchell shows ‘eccentricities’ that attract distinct groups of people in “The Old House at Home,” Joan Didion’s “Los Angeles Notebook” illuminates a cultural phenomenon that repels cultural changes or ‘eccentricities. In the story, Joseph Mitchell use the ‘eccentricities’ in order to describe a diverse background of the customers. Joseph Mitchell’s “The
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Didion divides the story into five sections, each written in various forms and perspectives. The author starts the story with detailed information on the Santa Ana Wind and its effect on Angelenos. She then jumps to numerous examples of her experiences and those of others, portraying an overall atmosphere of Los Angeles. Throughout her writing, Didion successfully depicts ominous and hectic conditions through numerous metaphors. For instance, in the last paragraph of the first section, she asserts that “the violence and the unpredictability of the Santa Ana affect the entire quality of life in Los Angeles…The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.” The aforementioned quote seems to suggest that Los Angeles is facing an imminent and unprecedented threat. Furthermore, she further delves into the volatility by describing her conflicts with other Angelenos. Specifically, in the third section, she talks about her experience of going to Ralph’s Market with an old bikini bathing suit. ‘The large woman’ at the market continuously tells her “What a thing to wear to the market,” from their encounter at the butcher counter to the check-out counter. The story mainly reflects the Santa Ana’s physical impact on Los Angeles. However, as the third section implies, the Santa Ana Wind is a reflection of changing dynamics of the Los Angeles culture. While an imminent wildfire refers to the contention between different people, the lingering social disputes caused by the ‘eccentricities,’ or encroaching social minorities, seems to result in an angry sentiment catalyzed by the wind. Such analysis seems to be ignored in the writings of Joseph
Didion divides the story into five sections, each written in various forms and perspectives. The author starts the story with detailed information on the Santa Ana Wind and its effect on Angelenos. She then jumps to numerous examples of her experiences and those of others, portraying an overall atmosphere of Los Angeles. Throughout her writing, Didion successfully depicts ominous and hectic conditions through numerous metaphors. For instance, in the last paragraph of the first section, she asserts that “the violence and the unpredictability of the Santa Ana affect the entire quality of life in Los Angeles…The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.” The aforementioned quote seems to suggest that Los Angeles is facing an imminent and unprecedented threat. Furthermore, she further delves into the volatility by describing her conflicts with other Angelenos. Specifically, in the third section, she talks about her experience of going to Ralph’s Market with an old bikini bathing suit. ‘The large woman’ at the market continuously tells her “What a thing to wear to the market,” from their encounter at the butcher counter to the check-out counter. The story mainly reflects the Santa Ana’s physical impact on Los Angeles. However, as the third section implies, the Santa Ana Wind is a reflection of changing dynamics of the Los Angeles culture. While an imminent wildfire refers to the contention between different people, the lingering social disputes caused by the ‘eccentricities,’ or encroaching social minorities, seems to result in an angry sentiment catalyzed by the wind. Such analysis seems to be ignored in the writings of Joseph