If ever there was an aviary overstocked with jays it is that Yaptown-on-the-Hudson, called New York.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- O. Henry criticizes New York City as being filled with noisy, boastful, or unpleasant people.
- In plain terms
- New York is full of annoying people like loud birds in a cage.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid places that attract the wrong kind of crowd.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a city unpleasant?
- How do crowds affect mood?
Another view
The comparison is subjective and relies on outdated stereotypes.
More from O. Henry
Busy as a one-armed man with the nettle-rash pasting on wallpaper.
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