Mapping the Geographical and Literary Boundaries of Los Angeles: a Real and Imagined City

The city of Los Angeles is a contradiction, as much an imagined city as a real one. For as many people who have believed in and chased the dream of success, there are as many who have been destroyed by the illusion of opportunity. Beginning with the idealistic dreamer coming west to Los Angeles, the romantic notion of Los Angeles as a city of opportunity is dismantled, revealing a desperation in people whose dreams can never be realized or satisfied. This idea is followed by discussions on the physical expansion of Los Angeles after the Second World War and how the disconnected, sprawling nature of the city reflects on the literature. The effects of the Cold War and nuclear paranoia also begin to reveal a new sense of isolation and confusion within the individual, and the writing begins to challenge societys values. Finally, the popular image of Los Angeles is challenged, exploring the vastness of a diverse cultural, racial and economic city. The sun-kissed, sandy beaches of Malibu are replaced by a city filled with violence, misinformation and uncertainty.