A Fantasy Without a Past

IN David Fine’s chapter, "Starting Points" L.A. was boosted into existence with no presentation of its past but all the hope of the future. This “new world” almost immediately caught the eyes of people from all over the nation because they could make the land what they wanted, a sort of personal Utopia. Whether it was because there are not many permanents such as restrictions on land or beliefs, or the culturally diverse background of the people of L.A. that welcomes newcomers, but people keep on traveling to see what all the fuss is about. The other helpful boost comes from advertisements and their use of grandiose words. With words like sun-kissed, Utopia, fantasy, happiness, who wouldn’t want to come here?

Writers also were interested in coming for the oddballs and stories that come with L.A.’s unusual landscape. With the advertised curative nature of the climate, racial conflicts, and unreality, it is not hard to imagine a story that intertwines all of these themes. Like Joan Didion says “no one remembers the past”, but these visitors and outsiders are ready to interpret and tell the future of L.A. on the pages of a book. These storytelling themes have not only reflected how the city began to come together but actually shaped L.A. physically.

Though there are designated city limits, the true shape follows no boundaries. Throughout this city, microcosms have been created for every culture and motivation. There are places like Koreatown and Downtown for the multicultural ethnics and then there are places for the film industry and corporate. One interesting difference noticed in Fine’s Chapter is the local versus movie set architecture. This reflects not only the actual use of buildings needed but the give in that the city allows to keep on attaining this romantic notion of a fantasy place where buildings can be created for any desire.

There are quite a few factors of this chapter that are personally illuminating. The first, being the lack of privacy that was brought up in the first page. Like any other city, we have buildings right up next to each other, but I think privacy would also be in the sense that our stories are constantly being told and examined. There is no place to hide for those oddballs out there. Like one author puts it, we are a “splendid sideshow” to be written about for many eyes to read and learn about. Especially learn from the natural and man-made disasters that seem to come about every decade or so, that seem to really bring the news light illumination.

There are still many of the same stereotypes and false promises of Utopia in present-day L.A. A city that seems to keep on growing, and city limits don’t define, the land of fantasy catches foreigners’ eyes everywhere. I went abroad last year, and when I told my new friends where I’m from, it almost seems like the only city they know in California is the allusively seductive L.A.

--Jessica Fernandez

caption: Santa Monica state beach

credit: denizoran, flikr creative commons