Adam Gopnik Bumping Into Mr Ravioli Analysis

It is in the human nature to be influenced by someone or something else. We see it when we are kids by our parents and as we grow up to be influenced by our peers. In the essay “Bumping into Mr. Ravioli” by Adam Gopnik, he becomes intrigued by his daughter 's peculiar imaginary friend and looks more into why is it that his daughter 's imaginary friend doesn’t play with her because he is always busy. Similarly in the essay, “On Habit” by Alain de Botton, he finds himself lost in the city of London after he comes back from Barbados but, when he learns about De Maistre and his theory of the traveling mindset he finds himself out of that depression and learns to look at London with a new perspective. Also, Gopnik seemed to form his own

Both authors become influenced by unknown individuals who plant a seed of curiosity. Before Gopnik met “Mr. Ravioli” and de Botton met De Maistre, neither of them ever wonder why the world was they way it was or why the people around them acted the way they did. Gopnik was first introduced to his daughter 's imaginary friend when he heard her complain about him, “the most peculiar local thing about Olivia’s imaginary playmate is this: he is always too busy to play with her...” (153). An imaginary “playmate” as the name says it itself, it 's supposed to play with the children and accompany them when they feel alone. Yet, Mr. Ravioli had none of those characteristics, instead he has some local characteristics. He was based on the environment that Olivia was constantly around. New York city is known as the city of “no sleep”, everyone is constantly busy trying to get their job done so that they could rest for the weekend but it never seems to happen. We see the same pattern with Mr. Ravioli, Olivia wants to make an appointment for a playdate with him but he always seems to be too busy to make any space in his agenda for her. Gopnick grows curious and starts to compare Mr. Ravioli with the typical New Yorker. He then realizes that all this time his daughter had been describing the lifestyle in New York City which makes him wonder why and how did this come to place. De Botton experiences something similar when he comes back from his trip of Barbados back to London. He begins to compare London and Barbados and how both have different influence in his emotions. Barbados was full of life and the sunshine was out everyday. While in London he was saddened and most of the days were rainy days. He decides that he doesn 't want to live that way anymore and seeks for a new perspective. He finds De Maistre’s theory of the traveling mindset and intrigues de Botton to change his perspective about his new surroundings. He claims, "And yet De Maistre 's Work springs from a profound and