John Mcphee's The Search For Marvin Gardens

“The Search for Marvin Gardens” by John McPhee compares the Game of Monopoly to the realities of everyday life. This essay conveys that some people will search their entire life for Marvin Gardens, happiness, and success, but they will only make it to Atlantic City. McPhee uses metaphor, description, and narration to make his case. This intricate and detailed work is meant to reach anyone who is familiar with the Monopoly Game. The purpose of the essay is to show how rare and precious Marvin Gardens is, and if a person finds this square, he or she should never let it go. This entire piece is a metaphor for different aspects of life. When the author says “[b]lock upon black, gradually, we are cancelling each other out…,” he is referring to both how he and his opponent play Monopoly and how people act in real life (McPhee 362). Each square on the board

There are many mini stories throughout this work. The author tells an extremely brief tale about Illinois Avenue. Three men catcall a girl, but she replies with a smart remark and keeps walking (McPhee 362). These stories offer tiny snippets of life and enhance the even greater story that his being told; that story is McPhee’s battle with his opponent. The games between McPhee and his opponent represent how people fight to find happiness and success in life and show that sometimes, failure is inevitable because the adversary is “dumbfoundingly lucky” (McPhee 364). John McPhee’s “The Search for Marvin Gardens” is an engaging, intricate, and enlightening essay about the struggles of life and the universal pursuit of happiness. In the end, McPhee finds Marvin Gardens, but he recognizes that others are forever stuck in Atlantic City. Because Marvin Gardens is difficult to find, the author refuses to abandon this precious square. Life is a Monopoly game that everyone will play, some will win, and only a few will actually find Marvin