Urban Spaces, Urban Voices

The references to boundaries and borders present in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker reaffirm Jane Jacobs’s argument that barriers are meant to be broken. In her novel, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs stands strongly behind the idea that barriers, whether physical, social, or mental, have immediate, and often unfavorable, effects on their surroundings. And in focusing on such negative qualities or effects, Jacobs’s intention is, undoubtedly, to show readers the importance of breaking down barriers that can be used to either limit or disrupt society.

In “Everyday Use” Alice Walker reveals the boundaries that can be created between different generations. In determining which of her daughters should receive the heirloom quilts that were stitched together by their Aunt Dicie, the mother reveals several differences between her own opinions and those of her daughters. In fact, the main conflict stems from the mothers contemplation over her daughter’s highly opposing wishes. While the first daughter, Dee, claims that the quilts should be displayed and appreciated solely for their aesthetic value, the second daughter, Meggie, whose opinion is almost a direct reflection of her mother’s wishes, seems to argue/feel that the quilts value is more practical and that they should be used as blankets. Hence, the divisions between the values of each generation become distinctly obvious, creating a social barrier between the two individuals. Neither one is able to see the relevance of the others viewpoint. Their opinion seems to be the only one that matters. And essentially, this fosters a certain level of tension between the characters—a tension that, while not paralleled to that of two feuding gangs or the civil unrest of a country, seems to voice the concerns of Jacob’s herself.

This past week, the Humanities Symposium, “Urban Spaces, Urban Voices”, sponsored a concert in the Alumni Chapel entitled “Toast of the Town”. The concert, which featured music and entertainment by The Dacamera Singers and Players, was driven, in part, by the same piece of literature that is thought to have inspired the Year of the City initiative—inevitably, Jane Jacobs’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities. As mentioned previously, Jacobs’s purpose is to demonstrate the physical and functional effects of borders on society. Borders are neither distinct lines between regions nor passive objects. Rather, they are entities that exert direct and active influences on their surroundings.

Nevertheless, by presenting the audience with excerpts from “West Side Story”, “On the Town”, and “Wonderful Town” by composer Leonard Bernstein, Ernest Liotti, director of The Dacamera Singers and Players, made a distinct attempt to animate the “death and life” of three great American cities: New York, Boston, and Baltimore. Prior to each of the pieces, Liotti gave a brief overview of the story’s plot and explained, in general, the motives of each song. Consequently, I identified most with the music I understood, that from “West Side Story”. This story, set in New York, is essentially a modern day Romeo & Juliet in which the two lovers are members of feuding gangs. Hence, the city is split knowingly into two sections—each gang patrolling their respective half. Unfortunately though, in line with Jacobs’s theory, that “borders in cities usually make destructive neighbors”, the city erupts into a massive gang war that culminates in numerous deaths and injuries for both sides. In other words, this story is an example of how hostility can be driven by social division, etc.

Hence, one cannot help but recognize the broad implications of Jacobs’s novel, Walker’s short story, and the humanities symposium on life within the Baltimore area. As the divisions between “Loyola Baltimore” and “York Road Baltimore” continue to grow, the need for change becomes even greater. For as long as the “two cities” remain divided, their will always be the potential for discourse.

As residents of the city of Baltimore and students of Loyola it is our responsibility to help break the barriers that we ourselves have created with the surrounding communities. If there is any hope for the future of Baltimore, it rests in the palm of our hands.