Urbanization In Aya

Harvey envisions the ‘right to the city’ as the shaping power over urbanization processes. He describes it as being how cities are made and re-made. Urbanization in a sense causes wealth classes, and there are only a few who are in control of disbursing the surplus present in an urban environment. Quality of life in an urban setting is treated as a commodity according to David Harvey, with those with money over indulging. There are greater consumer habits for these people and freedom of choice for those with money. He further explains that this lifestyle of the wealthy capitalists is challenged by social movements. They try to change the way of life, and change the control set in place, although because of individualistic interests, this is difficult to do. Slums are the result of dispossession and development that is by the wealthy, and for those few elite’s vision. The rights of the city allow those with the power to, to change the city to reflect their desires in a sense. Changing a city requires collective power to outweigh urbanization, and a freedom to be able to make the city what is wished of it. In Aya, the right to the city was in the hands of certain characters over others. Overall, female characters in the graphic novel have less rights to the city (as defined by Harvey) than the men, because they have significantly less freedom,
Aya, despite her wishes to challenge social norms to become a doctor, still faces moments where her freedoms and rights are lesser than others in the city. Men hit on her multiple times, but one even becomes aggressive. She is luckily helped by her uncle, but he makes a comment of how he is doing wrong because he does not even know who her father is, not because he was trying to hurt her. This makes it evident that the rights of men in the city are greater than those of women. When Aya makes it to school, she still cannot escape unwanted street