#1

In "Speak, Hoyt Schermerhorn," Jonathan Lethem views the subway as a natural environment for the observation of people. Because it is such a an intimate surrounding, where people are literally on top of each other( especially in rush hour) the subway becomes an open and highly accepted forum to do embrace the act of studying, analyzing, and judging other people. Lethem says, " In truth, every subway rider is an undercover officer in a precinct house of mind, noticing and cataloguing outre and dissident behavior in his fellow passengers even while cultivating the apparent indifference for which New Yorkers are famous, above and below ground," to depict how even though people may put on the facade of not caring about their surroundings, they are constantly on the alert and break down "outre and dissident behavior". Furthermore, this practice of scrutinizing others is apparent in New Yorkers, "above and below ground," making the observation of others enmeshed in the culture. Lethem goes onto to say that, "we become spies, on the adults, the office workers, tourists, beggars, and policeman who'd share segments of our endless trip". Lethem takes on an alternate persona to try and feel a connection to the people in which he is in transit with. Him and his friend put on the persona as "spies" to get a deeper look into the lives of the individuals that "share segments of our endless trip." He even goes onto to view the personal affairs of the conductor, showing how the subway ride is more the just a mode of transportation, but is rather a mechanism for looking at people in their most vulnerable state: their unawareness.