Coming of age is a critical phase in one’s life when they encounter drastic changes in perspectives and achieves a further understanding of the world formulated from cathartic experiences. In the short story “The Fall of a City”, by Aidan Nowlan, Teddy the protagonist is a dynamic character who struggles through his transition to adulthood. Living with his uncle and aunt, Teddy builds an imaginary world named Upalia, to escape from reality and spends time in the attic fighting imaginary battles. The city portrays the self-esteem that he lacks in his life. When his uncle discovers and laughs at Teddy's “paper dolls”, he symbolically demolishes his city, which is foreshadowed in the title of the story. Coming of age affect both parents and children in different ways and also it can be affected by who you are with.
From the perspective of a child, the transition to maturity might seem quick, harsh, and obligatory. Throughout Teddy’s life, a steady opposition is clearly visible between his illusion and reality. Teddy reaches maturity when his creativity is destroyed and reality takes over. To him, Theodoresberg, a kingdom “...created from scraps of cardboard held together with …show more content…
The narrator tells us that “... [Teddy] lives with his uncle and aunt…” (44); it might be because of something tragic that might have occurred in his childhood; something an “eleven-year-old boy”(45) should have never been through. Teddy has grown to be an introvert, as the story opens, a simile is used to show that “...Teddy watched raindrops roll like beads of quicksilver…” (p.41). The rain shows his sadness, it creates the somber atmosphere. Pathetic fallacy is used to symbolize rain to Teddy’s internal emotions. The rain is described throughout the story following Teddy and his emotions around. The rain falling hard represents all his positivity
From the perspective of a child, the transition to maturity might seem quick, harsh, and obligatory. Throughout Teddy’s life, a steady opposition is clearly visible between his illusion and reality. Teddy reaches maturity when his creativity is destroyed and reality takes over. To him, Theodoresberg, a kingdom “...created from scraps of cardboard held together with …show more content…
The narrator tells us that “... [Teddy] lives with his uncle and aunt…” (44); it might be because of something tragic that might have occurred in his childhood; something an “eleven-year-old boy”(45) should have never been through. Teddy has grown to be an introvert, as the story opens, a simile is used to show that “...Teddy watched raindrops roll like beads of quicksilver…” (p.41). The rain shows his sadness, it creates the somber atmosphere. Pathetic fallacy is used to symbolize rain to Teddy’s internal emotions. The rain is described throughout the story following Teddy and his emotions around. The rain falling hard represents all his positivity