Cities in Asphalt Jungle

Asphalt Jungle certainly does not portray cities as a pleasant place to live. Cities in Asphalt Jungle were nothing more then crime infested areas, full of corruption and people wanting to get out. Virtually every character in one way or another wanted to escape the city, whether physically or symbolically. I think that the "weaknesses" of the characters were also a representation of them avoiding city life. Although Dix was the only character that constantly was reminded of going back to Kentucky to his farm, and physically wanting to leaving the city; other characters to a certain extent wanted to as well. For example, I think the cigars that the Doctor smokes, are a way of avoiding city life. He just wants to get as much pleasure as he can out of small things, and by doing so "mentally" avoids the city. Cobby does the same thing by drinking alcohol. It even reached the point where he feels uncomfortable when another character rejects his offering of alcohol. Almost as if it is a rejection of escaping the city. Emmerich tries to escape the hardships of living in a city both mentally and physically. When he tried to cheat the Doctor out of all the jewels, he was planning on making a run to Cuba, or somewhere out of the states. He also mentally avoided the city with his affair. The corrupt police officer also mentally avoided city life, by taking money from Cobby. Perhaps money is his way of avoiding the stresses of living in the city. The way that city life was portrayed, was certainly a negative view. And although not all characters might have clearly showed that they dislike the city, in one way or another they hinted around the fact.