Setting

Time and physical setting

The short story “Mother of the City” was published in 1993. The short story is probably meant to be read as contemporary to the time when it was written. This is suggested, for example, by the fact that Michelle has an answering machine at home (p. 82, ll. 8-9).

The events in the short story take place over one night, as Douglas stumbles injured across London. Note, however, that he also recounts past events that took place both in London and in one of its distant suburbs, Meadowfields, UK, over the course of two months: “It began with a woman I met two months ago” (p. 78, l. 38).

Meadowfields is most likely a fictional distant suburb of London. Meadowfields is also a misleading name, probably given to the estate to attract people to an unimpressive area: “Meadowfields (that’s the name of the estate; suitably meaningless, as there isn’t a meadow in sight and never was)” (p. 78, ll. 6-8). In his youth, Douglas moved from his parents’ house to his Aunt Sheila’s home, three roads away (p. 78, ll. 30-31). To reach London, he has to take three trains, (p. 80, l. 22), as Meadowfields is 58 miles from London. (p. 82, l. 19)

Douglas also describes the British Museum, a place that represents a pleasant memory from his childhood. The description of the physical setting of the Museum inspires peace and stability, feelings that Douglas could not find in his own home. Ironically, the British Museum is itself in London:

I loved those infinite halls of waxed tiles, each sepulchral room with its own uniformed attendant. Smooth panes of light and dense silence, the exact opposite of my home life. My parents always spoke to me loudly and simultaneously. (…) Within its walls nothing ever changed, and I was safe and secure. I never had that feeling w...