“The Fall of a City” Literary Analysis
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation” - Oscar Wilde. This sad but true reality, especially for people who grew up in the 1950’s, is accurately depicted in the short story, “The Fall of a City” by Alden Nowlan. In this story, 11-year-old Teddy is being raised by his inexperience and oppressive aunt and uncle. Since Teddy is typically alone at home, he builds a fantasy city called Upalia made of paperdolls to keep him company. The King of Upalia, Theodore, is created based on Teddy’s aspired qualities; bravery, courage and leadership. After spending hours upon hours in the attic playing, his uncle decides to check what Teddy is up to. This resulted in Teddy being ridiculed by his aunt and uncle for acting too feminine. Following …show more content…
Teddy’s epiphany is demonstrated by Nowlan with the line, “The city was as he had left it. Yet everything had changed.” (pg.45). This is a coherent example of Teddy’s epiphany because it is clear that his love and passion for the city have disappeared. The city that once brought Teddy so much joy could not even put a smile on his face anymore, as a result of the forced conformation brought on by his uncle. However, it is palpable how destroying the city affection him so drastically, as “...he was crying by the time he finished tearing it to shreds.” (pg. 46). The repercussions of Teddy’s destruction of Upalia cause him not to realize that he is also taking his own identity away by giving into the apprehension induced by his uncle. Teddy ultimately conforms to the ideals his uncle has set out for him by destroying Upalia, which is also where Teddy’s epiphany occurs. Teddy allows his uncle to win by abandoning his true self-
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation” - Oscar Wilde. This sad but true reality, especially for people who grew up in the 1950’s, is accurately depicted in the short story, “The Fall of a City” by Alden Nowlan. In this story, 11-year-old Teddy is being raised by his inexperience and oppressive aunt and uncle. Since Teddy is typically alone at home, he builds a fantasy city called Upalia made of paperdolls to keep him company. The King of Upalia, Theodore, is created based on Teddy’s aspired qualities; bravery, courage and leadership. After spending hours upon hours in the attic playing, his uncle decides to check what Teddy is up to. This resulted in Teddy being ridiculed by his aunt and uncle for acting too feminine. Following …show more content…
Teddy’s epiphany is demonstrated by Nowlan with the line, “The city was as he had left it. Yet everything had changed.” (pg.45). This is a coherent example of Teddy’s epiphany because it is clear that his love and passion for the city have disappeared. The city that once brought Teddy so much joy could not even put a smile on his face anymore, as a result of the forced conformation brought on by his uncle. However, it is palpable how destroying the city affection him so drastically, as “...he was crying by the time he finished tearing it to shreds.” (pg. 46). The repercussions of Teddy’s destruction of Upalia cause him not to realize that he is also taking his own identity away by giving into the apprehension induced by his uncle. Teddy ultimately conforms to the ideals his uncle has set out for him by destroying Upalia, which is also where Teddy’s epiphany occurs. Teddy allows his uncle to win by abandoning his true self-