Class
Berman argues that some cases of modernity are not beneficial to the lower classes. In some cases, poorer people are pushed out of the way to make room for "progression" and "modernity". In the case of the Bronx expressway built for commuters, he argues that their lives were placed above the lives of people living in the Bronx. The text also includes a section about Marxist thought and attempts to reconcile Marxism with modernity.
The Negatives of Modernity
Throughout the text, Berman explores the threats that modernity poses, drawing on historical, literary and personal examples. He argues that modernity can be positive, but that often it can have damaging consequences.
Berman refers to Faust by Goethe to illustrate this argument, arguing that Faust is a modernist figure. According to Berman, Faust’s deal with the devil represents a metaphorical sacrifice that is often made with modern technological advancements. He argues that the pursuit of something greater can actually lead to destruction: "Precisely because Faust finds the bells so sweet, the woods so lovely, dark and deep, he drives himself to wipe them out".'
Later in the text, Berman draws upon personal examples from his experiences of modernity in New York. His prime example of modernity gone wrong is the expressway built in the Bronx, which destroyed many beautiful boulevards and people’s way of life. Although this project was beneficial to people who were commuting, the lives of the people living in the Bronx were not considered.
The Positives of Modernity
Although much of the text questions and critiques modernity, Berman does suggest that there are benefits of living in the modern world. He argues that there is a sense of adventure, possibility, and excitement in living in this age, which must be taken full advantage of. He argues that people must be willing to adapt to the ever-changing nature of the modern world, and to embrace adventure.
In the final section of the book, Berman explains the positive urban advancements made in New York. This includes the 1939 New York World’s Fair, which he cites as being "one of the greatest moments in New York's history". He describes how Robert Moses had built over an industrial waste site in which "Scott Fitzgerald had immortalized as one of the greatest modern symbols of industrial and human waste", in his depiction of the "valley of ashes" in The Great Gatsby. In its place, Moses created the fair, which provided an "immense celebration of modern technology and industry". As such, Berman does not deny that the result of modernization often produces joy and growth for many.
