Faust
Berman uses the figure of Faust to illustrate what he means by modernity. According to Berman, the bargain that Faust makes with the devil in the text is a bargain for modernization and progression. He reads the story of Faust metaphorically, seeing it as representing how we must give up morality in order to create industrialization, modernity and advances in technology.
Robert Moses
In the final section of the text, Berman discusses modernity in New York, which is represented by the figure of Robert Moses. Moses symbolizes urbanism and modernity, and both the progressive change and destruction that results from this. He was incredibly influential regarding urban living in New York and was responsible for a number of modern achievements and disasters. Berman uses this figure to show us how modernity can be a force for good, but also a force of destruction.
Literature
In this text, Berman examines many pieces of literature and their relation to modernity, from Faust to the French symbolist poets. He explores the significance of literature in forming the notion of modernity and re-contextualizes their works to support his own arguments about living in the modern world.
Architecture and buildings
Berman focuses on buildings and architecture as a key aspect of modernization, from the streets of Paris to the expressway built in the Bronx. This is interesting, as buildings are an aspect of modernity that people encounter often in their daily lives. Berman analyses the negatives and positives of progressive and modern urban building projects, suggesting that they impact different people in different ways. The modernist progression of the way streets and cities function has impacted people's lives dramatically, creating a new model of human experience.
