THE LIVING CITY: CULTURE, TRANSFORMATION, AND THE URBAN ENVI- RONMENT IN N. K. JEMISIN’S THE CITY WE BECAME

Abstract

The paper examines the process of urban transformation in N. K. Jemisin’s novel, The City We Became. Through a close reading of the novel, the paper analyzes Jemisin’s portrayal of New York as a dynamic and constantly evolving entity that undergoes profound transformations throughout the narrative. Jemisin’s work offers a powerful and imaginative vision for how cities can be understood and represented in literature and beyond. The complex social, economic, and political forces actively shape cities are emphasized by presenting the city as a living and breathing character. The city will be viewed through Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space, Edward Soja’s notion of postmetropolis, and Sharon Zukin’s conceptualization of the life and death of cities. Jemisin’s use of magical realism, intertextuality, and metaphorical language contribute to her vision of the city as a vibrant and multifaceted character that challenges and subverts dominant narratives surrounding race, gender, power, and urban inequality. By explor- ing the interplay between culture, urban theory, and literature, this paper offers a comprehen- sive and innovative perspective on the city and its ongoing transformation in the contemporary world.