Note 2 and 3

Ferris Bueller's Day Off Parade Scene

For all of you deprived children who have not seen what some critics claim to be one of the funniest movies of all time, this scene consists of Ferris Bueller, a high-school senior, singing on a parade float in the middle of downtown Chicago. The celebratory exclamation of the crowd and the idealized image of Chicago exudes a sense of playful comfort that anyone could easily fit in the city. The first song that Ferris sings is harmonious and serene causing the crowd to react surprised and almost disappointed at the gregarious teenager. However, the police guards choose not to remove him from the float out of either a sense of improbable disregard or self-amusement. This action illustrates that the city is accepting of young people having fun as well as easily entertained. Soon after, the disparaging tone picks up as Ferris begins to sing "Twist and Shout." Everyone in the city begins to dance for no apparent reason other than to have fun.  Even construction workers, babies, and obese men join in the random gamboling. The exceeding comfort level of the crowd demonstrates that the citizens of Chicago really don't care about differences between them, but instead they are all out to enjoy life in the city.

City Life by Viraj Bhanshaly

Depicted in Viraj Bhanshaly's poem "City Life," the constant congestion of people, noises, and cars in the city - only interrupted by the awkward silence of the early hours in the morning - illustrates the special needs of city dwellers to have patience and an admiration for the large range of strange actions going on in the city. The silence of the city only exists at night where "the city streets are calm" and "everyone is sleeping." However, when the sun rises, "the silence disappears" and and is never able to overcome the roar of city busses and taxi cabs. Bhanshaly first characterizes the city as being overly noisy in his perspective by describing the night when it is quiet as peaceful and needed almost as if he longs for the moment when sleep falls over the city. He also describes the night as the time when "heaven awakes." The overly positive diction that Bhanshaly employs towards silence exudes a sense that silence is the only good part of the city. However, he ends the poem by saying that even though the city is overwhelmed by "the screech of cars," "motorbikes going racing," and "the lively dynamic roads" that are not easy to navigate, Bhanshaly loves the city because even though it is expensive to live in, "it gives you range." Bhanshaly's contradiction of the earlier negative tone in the poem suggests that he does care about living in the city and that he couldn't imagine living else where. Also, he chooses to apply a constant ABCB DEFD etc. rhyme scheme. The inclusion of this rhyme creates a rhythm and flow to the poem almost to mimic the steady hum of traffic down the crowded streets. It is the constant honking and yelling of traffic in every city that makes life in urban areas unique and enjoyable.