Short Fiction · Chapter
The Voice of the City explained
The narrator embarks on a quest to discover the 'Voice of the City'—the essential, unified expression of New York's multitudes.
What happens
The narrator embarks on a quest to discover the 'Voice of the City'—the essential, unified expression of New York's multitudes. He asks various people: Aurelia, a bartender, a policeman, a poet, and a newsboy. Each responds with personal concerns rather than a grand urban message. Ultimately, the narrator returns to Aurelia, and in a silent, intimate moment of hand-holding, he realizes that the true voice of the city is found in quiet, personal connection.
Themes in this chapter
Humor and Irony
The narrator's earnest quest is met with humorous, self-absorbed responses from each person he asks, highlighting the irony of seeking a grand urban voice in a city of individuals.
Love and Romance
The ultimate answer to the city's voice is found in a silent, romantic moment between the narrator and Aurelia, suggesting that love and personal connection are the true essence of urban life.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The protagonist who seeks the Voice of the City, questioning various people and finally finding the answer in a silent moment with Aurelia.
- Aurelia
The narrator's companion; she offers witty, dismissive answers about the city's voice and later shares a silent, meaningful hand-holding moment that reveals the answer.
- Billy Magnus
A bartender the narrator questions; he is distracted by his wife Mame and child, showing personal life over city voice.
- Cleon
A poet the narrator meets; he is preoccupied with his appearance and a California girl who recites his poem, ignoring the narrator's query.
- Newsboy
A newsboy the narrator corners; he is focused on buying a birthday present for 'Mag' and dismisses the philosophical question.
- Policeman
A cop on the corner; he is distracted by his new wife who visits him nightly, and offers no insight into the city's voice.
Key passages
“I knew the answer and I hugged it in my breast as I flew, fearing lest someone would stop me and demand my secret.”
I understood the truth and clutched it to myself as I hurried, afraid that someone might intercept me and ask for my discovery.
The narrator's realization of the city's voice is a personal, almost secret epiphany.
“After half an hour Aurelia said, with that smile of hers: 'Do you know, you haven't spoken a word since you came back!' 'That,' said I, nodding wisely, 'is the Voice of the City.'”
After a long silence, Aurelia remarked that I had not spoken. I replied that this silence itself was the city's voice.
The climax reveals that the city's voice is found in wordless, intimate connection.