For God's sake! Won't someone...
Illustration
Object:
"For God's sake! Won't someone help me?" the voice cries. "I'm dying!"
The voice belongs to a woman named Kitty Genovese. The place is a New York City street, many years ago. Kitty Genovese is being murdered and, as this is taking place, literally dozens of her neighbors watch from their windows and fire escapes. In this notorious case of urban neglect, not one of the witnesses calls the police.
The story of Kitty Genovese is a modern urban tragedy. Decades later, her story is still being told, the archetypal tale of loneliness and neglect in the big city. Yet, in a certain sense, Kitty's neighbors are just as alone as she. So terrified are they by the risks of living in the city, that they fail to recognize that a community is gathered around them, all up and down the fire escapes and that community possesses the power to save the young woman. A single phone call would have done it. No, Kitty Genovese's neighbors are not alone -- but they are convinced that they are.
The voice belongs to a woman named Kitty Genovese. The place is a New York City street, many years ago. Kitty Genovese is being murdered and, as this is taking place, literally dozens of her neighbors watch from their windows and fire escapes. In this notorious case of urban neglect, not one of the witnesses calls the police.
The story of Kitty Genovese is a modern urban tragedy. Decades later, her story is still being told, the archetypal tale of loneliness and neglect in the big city. Yet, in a certain sense, Kitty's neighbors are just as alone as she. So terrified are they by the risks of living in the city, that they fail to recognize that a community is gathered around them, all up and down the fire escapes and that community possesses the power to save the young woman. A single phone call would have done it. No, Kitty Genovese's neighbors are not alone -- but they are convinced that they are.
