Name: _______________________
“The Fall of a City” by Alden Nowlan – Activity 1
Pre-Reading Activity
Reflect on a time when you were bullied or humiliated by an adult. How did it feel?
What was your reaction?
During Reading Questions
1. The only literary device NOT present in the first paragraph of the story is:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Simile
Metaphor
Imagery
Personification
2. What does the Kingdom of Upalia reveal about the protagonist?
a.
b.
c.
d.
That he is creative
That he is effeminate (not masculine)
That he is crazy
All of the above
3. The word “resplendent” in the fourth paragraph means:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Stunning and magnificent
Dull and dismal
Serious and ominous
None of the above
4. Why is the imaginary kingdom named Theodoresburg?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Because it is a world he has created in which to escape
Because Teddy needs one place in the world where he is empowered
Because Teddy is a short form for Theodore
All of the above
5. In middle of the second page, the word “will” is in italics. This text feature is used to
indicate:
a.
b.
c.
d.
That the author wants to emphasize the uncle’s tone of voice
That the author wants to highlight the importance of the word
That the author wants to emphasize the meaning of the word
None of the above
6. The quotation, “Theodoresburg had been growing for a year and, often, it seemed
more real than the town, the street and the home in which he lived with his uncle and
aunt” is followed by Teddy stating: “There was only an attic full of preposterous
cardboard buildings and ridiculous paper people”. These quotations show the reader
that:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Teddy’s hope for the future is gone
Teddy does not need to escape his painful life anymore
Teddy’s innocent, childhood pastime has been destroyed by his uncle
Teddy should not have wasted his time in the attic
After Reading Reflection
SHORT ANSWER RESPONSE
1. Do you think the story is realistic? Use information from the text and your own
ideas to justify your answer.
The Fall of A City by Alden Nowlan – Activity 2
Quotation ANALYSIS
Explain the significance of TWO quotations below in relation to the story.
1. “Behind him, cloudy white marbles of rain slid down the window” (p2).
2. In the centre of the room stood a fort and a palace, painstakingly constructed
from corrugated cardboard cartons” (p1).
3. “His Majesty King Theodore I, resplendent in the red and black uniform of a
generalissimo, emerged on the balcony of his winter palace in Theodoresburg,
capital of the Kingdom of Upalia” (p1).
4. “Paper dolls and doll houses. An eleven year old boy!...The next thing we know,
you’ll be wanting us to put skirts on you” (p3).
5. “Yes, they were paper dolls. There was no King Theodore, no Emperor Kang, no
Theodoresburg, no Upalia, no Danova. There was only an attic full of
preposterous cardboard buildings of ridiculous paper people” (p3).
Deeper Thinking Questions for “The Fall of a City” by Alden Nowlan
Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. Please answer in
full sentences, unless otherwise asked to do something different.
1. What literary device is used in the first sentence of the story? Why is it effective?
2. There are two settings in the story. Create a VENN DIAGRAM and write down the
similarities and differences between the two. How are these setting important to the
story?
3. Describe 3 characteristics of Teddy and use quotations from the story to prove your
points.
4. How does Teddy’s character devolve through the story? What are the reasons this
happens?
5. What emotion does the reader feel about Teddy? How does the author evoke this
feeling from you?
6. What impression do you have of Teddy’s intelligence and personality as he plays with
his paper city? What gives you that impression? (look at his use of language and his
imagination) Give EXAMPLES!!
7. Why does the boy call the king Theodore?
8. Metaphor is a term used to indicate comparison, where one concept is described in
terms of another.
a) How are the characters in Teddy’s fantasy world metaphors for his real world?
b) How is the setting a metaphor of the “real world” downstairs?
9. What symbolic meaning does King Theodore take on in the story? And Upalia? And
the cutout figures?
10. Find at least 4 quotations from the short story that show how much power Teddy’s
parents have over him.
11. When Teddy speaks to his aunt and uncle, he uses different language in comparison
to the language used when he is building his kingdom in his imagination. Explain the
significance of this. Why do you suppose Teddy does this?
12. Why does Teddy destroy his “kingdom” at the end of the story?
13. “The city was as he left it. Yet everything had changed”. What happened?