Such afternoons the buses are crowded into line like elephants in a circusparade. Morningside Heights to Washington Square, Penn Station to Grant's Tomb. Parlorsnakes and flappers joggle hugging downtown uptown, hug joggling gray square after gray square, until they see the new moon giggling over Weehawken and feel the gusty wind of a dead Sunday blowing dust in their faces, dust of a typsy twilight.
In John Dos Passos' "Manhattan Transfer," the cityscape is vividly described, capturing the hustle and bustle of urban life. Buses line up tightly, reminiscent of a circus parade, conveying a sense of the chaos and connection between various neighborhoods, from Morningside Heights to Washington Square. The depiction of passengers, including parlor snakes and flappers, highlights the diverse social interactions happening as they navigate the city from uptown to downtown.
The imagery of the new moon shining over Weehawken and the gusty wind of a somber Sunday underscores a more reflective mood amidst the lively chaos. The dust in the air symbolizes the remnants of the day, mixing with the vibrancy of the city’s nightlife. This contrast between the energy of the urban landscape and the quiet of a twilight moment paints a rich portrait of life in Manhattan during the early 20th century.
