Amusing The Million Essay

What defines leisure time may differ from person to person and also from community to community. A person may prefer Broadway as their relaxation, while some else relaxes by watching car races. Whatever the choice one makes, America has a myriad of variety for societies to escape from day to day life. This was not always the case in America. Up until the early nineteenth century, America was strictly guided by certain values. American culture at this time felt a formal set of leisure activities enhanced society and stifled any deviant behavior. Structure and limiting cultural activities were about to see a change. Although the elite made an effort to change leisure time, American recreation was going to have a revolution in a sense. An amusement park called, Coney Island was a part of the revolution against genteel culture. John Kasson in his book Amusing the Million, addresses the change that Coney Island …show more content…
The budding twentieth century saw expansion of immigrants into American and Coney Island offered a way to incorporate this population into America. The park was “a means to participate in mainstream American culture on an equal playing field” (Kasson 40). The relaxed atmosphere of the amusement park opened up an avenue to shed social and ethnic ties. Whatever the mode of entering the park, once immersed in Coney Island’s sociability, patrons become a part of a fellowship in the amusement park. Life outside of Coney Island was in contrast to the parks less formal atmosphere. Pulled into a different atmosphere, patrons felt comfortable to shed the restraints and show “interest in one another’s activities” (Kasson 42). Much like current venues such as Nascar, where crowds amass from different communities and ethnic groups to enjoy a common form of