Amusing The Million Analysis

If you were to ever visit Coney Island, the scene alone would automatically lift whatever mood you are in. The sight of children with painted faces, roller coasters, mini game booths, funnel cakes, cotton candy etc, would bring joy because you see others enjoying themselves. When the idea of going to Coney Island arose, there would almost always be immediate excitement. This was always the standard for Coney Island from the time it was created to present day. Not only is the amusement park itself a fun event to go to, but it represents a change of culture in American life. In the first chapters of “Amusing the Million” by John F. Kasson, he discusses how American culture was before Coney Island and how it changed once Coney was developed. The culture before the idea of amusement parks, some would say is very strict. American apostles of culture believed that every action has to have a purpose. Kasson describes it as, “all activities both in work and in leisure should be ultimately constructive. Hard work improved the individual as well as society...Leisure,too, should be spent not on idleness but in edifying activities”( Kasson 4). This means that this
It gave people an outlet to not only to witness the entertainment, but to engage with others and be apart of the entertainment. The Legacy of Coney island runs deeper than the rides or food. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy, ruined Coney Island. However, that wasn't the end of the amusement park as Coney Island was rebuilt better than ever. This symbolizes to me that the community never wants the message that Coney Island carries to disappear. Coney Island was not only different than other types of entertainment but it represents the turn of a century with a new face of mass culture. The fact that the same feelings Coney Island gave people when it first started are still being felt to this day speak to Coney Island’s continuing