“The Fall of a City” KEY (25 marks)
1. When Teddy speaks to his aunt and uncle, he uses a completely different language
than he does when he is constructing his kingdom in his imagination. Give examples of
each and describe the difference. What do these two different languages reveal about
Teddy's character?
When constructing his kingdom, Teddy uses “military words” and thinks in precise,
formal language – the kind of words and phrases that a general or king would use:
- “generalissimo”
- “squadrons of lancers, dragoons and hussars, batteries of horse artillery”
- “regiments of infantry”
- “through the treachery”
- “evil and cunning”
- Etc.
The language Teddy uses in “Upalia” shows that he is creative and imaginative in this
kingdom that offers a respite from his rather ordinary existence.
When speaking with his aunt and uncle, Teddy’s grammar and enunciation is poor, and
many of his words are “grunts”:
- “yeah”
- “comin’”
- “yuh”
- “I ain’t been doin’ nothin’ – just playin’”
- “huh”
When he comes back into the real world, he talks like his aunt and uncle expect an 11year-old boy to speak.
2. Why does Teddy call the king Theodore? What symbolic meaning does King
Theodore take on in the story?
“Teddy” is likely short for “Theodore”, his full Christian name. In his own world, he is
king – King Theodore, free to do and dream to any limit, free to control his surroundings
and all those who inhabit it. “Theodoresburg had been growing more real than the town,
the street and the home in which he lived with his uncle and aunt.” (132) In the real
world, he is “Teddy”, at the mercy of his aunt and uncle, who “did not mean to be cruel,
he knew”. Consider that in Theodoresburg, “Zikla, Duke of Anders” had been a
treacherous general who was eventually defeated, chained and hung. (131) When his
uncle is berating him, Teddy reflects on how much he resembles the treacherous Zikla.
In his own world, Teddy is in control and is able to conquer those who seek to harm him.
He is powerful and majestic, in both actions and speech. In the real world, he has no
power.
3. What is the symbolic meaning of the cut-out figures and the kingdom of Upalia?
The kingdom of Upalia is “up in the attic” – no coincidence. It is Teddy’s literal and
figurative escape. When people in the real world are cruel to him, he can punish them
through their Upalian counterpart. This is specifically seen through Teddy’s belittling
uncle being re-created as the treacherous Zikla, who is hanged for his crimes. The cutout figures represent those in Teddy’s world – the good and the bad, those who are loyal
and those who betray. In Teddy’s mind, his cut-out figures are alive, while those in the
real world are cardboard and one-dimensional. Of course, those who actually are in the
real world, like his uncle, see things exactly the opposite, as he sneeringly refers to
Teddy’s population as “paper dolls”.
4. Explain how the description in the first paragraph of the story is an example of
foreshadowing.
In the first paragraph of the story, “rain fell with such violence that great, pulsating sheets
of water seemed to hang suspended between earth and sky”. Teddy is up in the attic with
his cardboard city and paper people, happily insulated in his make-believe world. The
body of the story revolves around an imaginary battle in Upalia, and a real conflict
between Teddy and his uncle. By the end of the story, Teddy’s uncle has belittled him,
calling him a “great big lummox [who] has been playing with paper dolls. The violent
rain in the opening sentence foreshadows Teddy’s tears and act of destruction in the
conclusion as he responds to the taunts of his uncle – “He bent and seized the cardboard
palace. Gritting his teeth and grunting, he tore at its walls. The corrugated board was
sturdy: he was crying by the time he finished tearing it to shreds.”
5. What is the theme of "The Fall of a City"? How does this general truth about life
apply specifically to the story? How does it apply generally to life?
The theme of the story is that it is important for young people to protect themselves from
the putdowns and discouragement of others that can shatter their personal dreams,
visions, and accomplishments. Teddy used his make-believe kingdom to shelter himself
from a dreary and comfortless life. Through his cardboard and paper creations, he was
able to take himself to a better place, where he was in control. His uncle destroyed the
refuge he had created. The lives of young people are often full of putdowns and
discouragements, from both peers and adults – they need to have a means of protecting
themselves from this sort of destruction.