“The Fall of a City” by Alden Nowlan
1. There are two settings in the story. Create a Venn Diagram and write down the similarities
and differences between the two. How are these settings important to the story?
Theodore’s Palace
Aunt and Uncle’s
-imaginary
real life
2032-2043
modern day
Castles and moats
house
Very mature vocabulary
slang
Very long sentences
short sentences
Happy/confident
shy/insecure
By himself
aunt and uncle
Rain=cannons
rain making noise on the roof
Magical
depressing and abusive
At war with attackers
at war with aunt/uncle
Exciting/action
gloomy/boring
Teddy in control
aunt and uncle in control
Similarities
2. When Teddy speaks to his aunt and uncle, he uses completely different language than he does
when he is constructing his kingdom in his imagination. Give examples of each, describe the
difference, and explain the significance of this difference.
When Teddy speaks to his aunt and uncle he uses completely different language than when he is
in his imaginary kingdom. In the real world he gives more sass to his aunt and uncle and always
seems defensive “I ain’t been doin’ nothing’-just playin”
When he is in his fantasy world he talks using very descriptive and mature language “behind
them marched regiments of infantry”
The change in language is significant because it shows how comfortable, mature and in control
he is in his imaginary world. He seems more himself. In the real world he seems very insecure
and afraid to speak his mind.
3. How are the characters in Teddy’s fantasy world related to his real world?
The characters in Teddy’s fantasy world are related to his real world because he names his
kingdom Theodoresburg after himself, his world, and the villain he is fighting is Zilka, Duke of
Anders, which later he realizes, as he is eating dinner, looks a lot like his uncle. In his fantasy
world he is in charge, and in reality, his aunt and uncle are in control. In his fantasy world there
is an intruder attacking the castle, and in his world the uncle intrudes and ruins his imaginary
world.
4. “The city was as he left it.Yet everything had changed”. What happened to explain this
change?
After Teddy’s uncle found out about his fantasy, Teddy felt ashamed He no longer was excited
to go to the attic. His safe place had been discovered and was no longer an escape from his real
life.
5. How do you think Teddy’s aunt and uncle will react to his destroying his kingdom? Provide
evidence from the text to add and support your answer.
I think Teddy’s aunt would inwardly feel badly for Teddy. It stated near the end of the story
that she seemed to sympathize for Teddy, “To his surprise her voice was not harsh: it contained
a suggestion of weary sympathy”. However, she seems to go along with the uncle so I don’t
think she would ever let Teddy know she felt this way. The uncle would be very happy to know
that his teasing had gotten to Teddy. He wasn’t very kind to his nephew when he said “You’d
never believe it, but that great big lummox has been playing with paper dolls.”
6. It is ten years later, and Teddy is now 21 years of age. How is this day remembered? What
kind of impression did it leave in his memory?
-the day he lost his innocence
Quotes
1.”Behind him, cloudy white marbles of rain slid down the window”
Narrator
Significance: sets the mood of the story, rainy day, pathetic fallacy, could foreshadow the tears he later
sheds when he destroys his castle.