Karthik Sridasyam

Part I: Quiz 1 – The City as a Text

I believe that to understand the city as a text, means to understand its history through an

infinite number of eyes. In science, it is believed that the most ideal way to maximize accuracy is

to repeat the experiment numerous times. Analogously, by using written texts as an infinite

number of descriptions of the same experiment, the city of Detroit, we can obtain the most

accurate image of the city and its qualities. Furthermore, texts are the perfect way to shield

information from the changes of time. People’s memories can skew, but recorded texts cannot.

This allows us not only access to the past, but the ability to look into our failures in order to

understand and prevent further fiascos. To understand the city as a text means to understand a

city in its entirety, without obstructions or distortions

Almost every novel we read discusses what’s known as a hero’s journey. His/ her

accomplishments and his downfalls. Understanding the city as a text is similar to that in the

sense that Detroit is the hero, and this class is meant to guide us through its journey. However, it

differs from the texts that we have read in class because of its enormity. Texts we have read in

our schools have always been focused on a person, or a group of people and their decisions and

actions, understanding the city as a text means understanding every point of view. Everyone

would be the protagonist in the story about Detroit, because everyone influenced it in some way,

shape or form.

I expect to learn about the growth and downfalls of the city of Detroit through the texts

that we learn. At one point of time, Detroit was the epitome of modernization. Its innovations

were applauded around the world, but it eventually became a city of deficiency and I hope to

understand what decisions made it into the pinnacle it once was, and what choices brought it

down.

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Karthik Sridasyam

Part II: Syllabus Questions

1. I was told that previous years did not have to read The Great Gatsby, for what reason was it

added now?

2. If we already read the novel, would we be asked to read it again?

3. Will most of our readings be qualitative? Or quantitative?

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