The City as a Force

Abstract

Over the past century and a half, the flux and chaos of the urban experience have proven typical enough to link thematically writers in diverse cultures. Continued industrialization and the consequent mass flight to the cities define modem societies. (Commuter suburbs are still appendages of the cities and cannot be mistaken for the country.) The personal costs of the transition are many, for the move from the country to the city can mean a leap in time as well as in space and this demands a sudden change in consciousness. For example, the folklore used to educate and guide generations of country folk is surrendered under the frequently mistaken notion that its lessons do not apply to the cities. Since folklore demonstrates values, new heroes must be raised for a cultural mythology relevant to the cities. This process is certainly not an easy or quick one. It demands many ingredients, the first of which is the clear sense of community which it will in turn accelerate. In the meantime, what becomes the guideposts for our actions? Unquestionably the sacrifice of a well-charted communal map of experience is a painful one, whether we are talking about Lagos or New York. The presentation of human drama in such frameworks makes instant links in the literatures of West Africa and Afro-America.