Mother Of The City Analysis

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Essay: Mother of the City “Where you live shapes your life.” These are the words of the main character, Douglas, in the short story, Mother of the City, written by Christopher Fowler. Douglas has grown up in the suburbs and he lives a fairly miserable and lonely life in a house with his aunt, Sheila. Douglas does definitely not like the big city, London, which not fit with the ideals of the big city girl, Michelle, who he falls in love with. Or maybe it’s just an illusion. Perhaps a picture of how much he really wants to get away from the suburb. Douglas and Michelle meet because they both are involved in a community project, which is tied to a national children’s charity. Douglas fancy Michelle very bad and during the story he gives it a lot of thoughts why Michelle even was interested in him in the first place. “.. and later she told me that she was attracted to me because I was clearly an honest man. She said all women are looking for honest men.” His honesty is very aware in the way Douglas acts and in his way of narrating the story.…show more content…
She is referred to as the queen of the city and they are all her subjects. Michelle is so much into London. She takes it directly personal if someone is criticizing her city. She is the Mother of the City. A mother who is protecting her child with whole of her heart. Therefore does it not fit Michelle, when Douglas points out all the negative things as violence and crime he sees about London. But yet Douglas’ attitude implies double standards. He says that he hates London, it’s filthy crowded streets and the self-obsessed and unfriendly people, but there is something that indicates that it perhaps just is a façade he hides behind. A façade that consists of fear and regret. Regret because he is stocked both physically and mentally in the suburb, which doesn’t change at all. And as Douglas end the story: “.. while far away suburbia sleeps
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