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Critical Analysis of “The New York Pickpocket Academy”

“The New York Pickpocket Academy,” by John McPhee tells the story of everyday events occurring at a farmer’s market in New York. In “The New York Pickpocket Academy,” John McPhee describes how thievery and dishonesty take place so frequently at the farmer’s market that it has become second nature to many and a casual everyday occurrence. He argues that, although pick pocketing is obviously present in their community, their members remain tight-knit and continue to try and take care of each other. McPhee does this successfully through vivid details of occurrences throughout the essay and through various personal experiences and other’s experiences while at the farmers market. McPhee also proves that even though thieves are abundant throughout the farmers market, there are still honest people present in the community.
This essay is the story of everyday life at a New York farmer’s market. He immediately starts the essay with a pickpocket. He gives vivid descriptions of many of the people mentioned in the essay along with vivid descriptions of the situations presented. McPhee mentions several pickpocket happenings, including a gypsy with her hand in another woman’s purse, a woman stealing two peaches for every one he bought, a woman who thought she had been pick pocketed but had simply left her money at home, and a vendor who gave a man a bag of money instead of the vegetables he wanted. The pickpockets have become so plentiful and stealing so casual that the vendors and customers simply see it as a part of life at the farmer’s market. McPhee also shows how close the community is when problems arise. Everyone pitches in and helps one another resulting in a tight-knit family taking care of each other.
Vivid details provide a reader to actually picture themselves in a situation or story rather than simply reading about it. In “The New York Pickpocket Academy,” McPhee provides the...