Manhattan Tropics

Question

by Guillermo Cotto-Thorner

Mankind has won a victory over the horizontal. New York aims overhead, is in perpetual pugilism with space. From the hard rock of Manhattan, man has shot up to conquer the clouds. Strapping buildings, as tall and long as the jíbaro’s hope, dotted symmetrically with windows and bordered with a little aesthetic detail to silence the critics—austere, linear, devastating. In summer, they give the impression of macabre furnaces where eyelashes burn, bodies melt down and all feeling contorts and loses its sense.
Which statement best describes the author's point of view towards his subject in this passage?

(1 point)
Responses

He sees New York as a place where hopes and dreams can flourish.
He sees New York as a place where hopes and dreams can flourish.

He feels New York has promise but it needs changes to serve its people.
He feels New York has promise but it needs changes to serve its people.

He sees New York as a marvel of modern society and a great achievement.
He sees New York as a marvel of modern society and a great achievement.

He feels the goals that the builders of New York had were misguided.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes the author's point of view towards his subject in this passage is:

He feels the goals that the builders of New York had were misguided.

This interpretation aligns with the author's description of the city as a place of discomfort and even despair, emphasizing the "macabre furnaces" and the way bodies "melt down" in the oppressive summer heat. The language suggests a critical view of what the towering buildings represent for the people rather than an outright admiration for their achievement.