Analysis
The story “Mother of the City” by Christopher Fowler follows a traditional plot structure. The story includes many backstories and tension is mostly created by several events while Douglas tries to meet Michelle in the city.
The characters include Douglas as the protagonist, and Michelle Davies, her friend Pony-Tail, and the bouncer at a club as secondary characters. Note that other characters, such as Douglas’ parents, his uncles and aunts, the people that live in the suburbs, and the crowd at the club are also mentioned in the story.
The events take place in London in several locations, and in one of its suburbs, Meadowfields. The social setting explores topics such as life in the suburbs, parents’ influence on their children, violence in the city, and differences in social class.
The events are described by the protagonist as a first-person narrator. While he provides many straightforward details about his life and the events he experienced in the past two months, the narrator is not entirely reliable.
Regarding language, the author uses antithesis to explain the differences between the suburbs and the city. The author also uses rhetorical questions and hypophora to make the story more interesting and convey Douglas’ perception of himself.
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