A Community In Shakespeare's Coriolanus By Sicinius

In Coriolanus by William Shakespeare, Sicinius asks, “What is a city but the people?” The citizens replied, “The people are the city.” and that is a fact that will always remain true. The community is the single thing that makes a city, just that. Each one creates a different atmosphere. Some are exuberant while others are monotonous. Unity and judgment tend to be the ambiance that my community gives off.

Andalusia offers numerous opportunities for the city to connect. Every Thursday in July, almost everyone will be sitting on a blanket with a group of friends in the Springdale courtyard, with a snow cone slowly dripping down their chins, live music carrying throughout the air. When the daylight starts to fade and the stars begin to sparkle
in the sky, fireworks burst into the air concluding the night. In December, the Christmas spirit is found by bundling up for warmth and traveling to the same area. This time, however, people can be found tripping over their feet as they’re attempting to ice skate or squeezing into adorable, miniature versions of local businesses as fake snow gently floats over them. At community wide pep-rallies everyone can be found singing, chanting, and cheering on the Bulldogs no matter the weather. As a community, pride is taken in each other. No matter how busy they are, the people always find time to come together, and that is truly admirable.

However, the unity of my city can be a double edged sword.
Andalusia is small and involved making it easy to know almost every single person in the community. People are quick to rise to conclusions about another’s situation or lifestyle simply based off of what they see in the public. These conclusions, regardless of actuality, are spread from person to person until they are widely believed to be true. I remember skidding across the hall of our tiny, compact mall into a checkered themed pizza shop to order my dinner after dance one night. I rambled out my order of cinnamon bites and a large pizza until I saw a small sign on the counter. The pizza shop was being forced to shut down. The owners were a married couple, heavily tattooed and littered with piercings. First impressions would have made them out to be treacherous and vile, but in reality, they were the kindest, most interesting people I’ve ever met. Without even speaking to them, people in the community not only looked down upon them, but they also assumed the worst. Rumors flew around until one day, there weren’t enough customers to pay for the cost of operating the shop. Assumptions and judgmental attitudes are one of the things I wish I could change most about this
town.

Coming together as a community simply to enjoy time with each other, is a remarkable quality that isn’t found everywhere. However, instead of assigning inescapable labels, the people in my community should allow the chance for individuals to thrive. In that way, the sense of fellowship it fosters can bloom into something even more beautiful.