“All dwellers in cities must live with the stubborn fact of annihilation; in New York the fact is somewhat more concentrated because of the concentration of the city itself, and because, of all targets, New York has a certain clear priority.”

White’s description of New York City as a possible target for a terrorist attack, one so intense that it would be an “annihilation,” is part of White’s exploration of Vulnerability. The sense that all of New York City’s culture, people, and physically impressive buildings could be destroyed is one that clearly disturbs White and seems to be top of mind for him. This may be due to the historical context in which White was writing—just a few years after World War II, which brought immense destruction to the cities of Europe through bombs that were often dropped via airplane.

“To a New Yorker the city is both changeless and changing.”

This quote exemplifies one of the key themes of the essay, The Passage of Time. White explores how individuals experience the passing of time and the inevitable change that it brings. White’s seemingly contradictory assertion that the city does and does not change hints at how vestiges of the past remain visible and are brought to life by the memories of the people who lived through previous iterations of the city.