Coney Island and American Popular Culture at the Turn of the Century

Something that Gorky expressed about Coney Island was how from far away, it seemed like a beautiful and serene place, and an escape from reality "The blue mist of the ocean vapors mingles with the drab smoke of the metropolis across the harbor. Its flimsy white structures are enveloped in a transparent sheet, in which they quiver like a mirage. They seem to beckon alluringly, and offer quiet and beauty." (p. 356) Kasson discussed how during the time period, the amusement parks at Coney Island were a great escape for all of the working and middle class families in the area. Part of what made the parks so popular was the "escape" which Gorky described. During the turn of the century, Kasson said, what people wanted was something out of the ordinary, and fantastic aside from the dreary everyday work life. So it makes sense how the vision Gorky has of Coney Island from a distance is probably a similar way the genereal population felt at the time when either seeing the mystical and mysterious buildings from across the water, or even word of mouth from others who had just been there.