Summary Of The City By Alden Nowlan

Walking down the street, there are always certain individuals that stand out from the crowd. Whether it be their bizarre hairstyle, their goofy teeth, or their impeccable style, humans will always critique and judge one another. Alden Nowlan’s story, The Fall of the City, introduces the main character, Teddy, as an imaginative and crafty individual— only for his self-confidence to be shattered by the defiling words of his uncle and aunt in mere seconds. Truthfully, all humans have an unwavering desire to be accepted and in turn, choose to fit in. Throughout the short story, Nowlan criticizes societal norms through the use of conflict and symbolism; ultimately proving that conformity is destructive towards society.

Firstly, conflict is used

It is no secret that children’s minds can be greatly influenced earlier on in age. What they see and experience can greatly impact their future. Throughout the story, Teddy’s uncle and aunt undermine his creativity, and think what he is doing is unconventional. After his uncle ridicules him for his paper dolls and cardboard palace, Teddy “bent and seized the cardboard palace. Gritting his teeth and grunting, he tore at its walls” (Nowlan 4). As a result of his uncle and aunt’s careless remarks, Teddy ended up destroying what he created. At the start of the story, Teddy viewed his paper dolls as real citizens living in a city. However, by the end, Teddy views them as only silly paper dolls. Parental figures have a huge influence on a child’s life, and by scoffing at Teddy’s toys, they tore down his self-confidence, and thus his creativity. Unbeknownst to his family, Teddy deals with a great deal of self-conflict in this story. When his uncle taunts him, Teddy becomes affirmative that there “was no king Theodore, no Emperor Kang,

In the story, it is clear that Teddy does not have a good relationship with his uncle and aunt. In fact, Teddy even states that “Theodoresburg had been growing for a year and, often, it seemed more real that the town, the street and the home in which he lived with his uncle and aunt” (Nowlan 3). It is almost as if Teddy is using “Theodoresburg” as an escape from his daily life. Further, Theodoresburg essentially symbolizes a life that Teddy wishes he had. The reason why he spends so many hours in the attic is so that he does not have to deal with reality. Another symbol in the story are Teddy’s aunt and uncle, who symbolize society. When Teddy’s uncle discovered his paper dolls, he laughed and said that “the next thing we know, you [will] be wanting us to put skirts on you” (Nowlan 4). Society has not completely accepted the LGBT community, and some still strongly oppose it. Teddy’s uncle was making fun of him because he viewed what he was doing as girly, leading him to think that Teddy could become gay. Accordingly, that is why Teddy was strongly denying that they “[are not] paper dolls” (Nowlan 4), because there is nothing worse than being gay in a society that is unaccepting. In conclusion, symbolism is used to demonstrate how conformity is detrimental towards