Expression Vs. Phoniness And Theme Mania In 'The City'

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Theme Mania
An all star theme vs. theme showdown

Expression vs. Phoniness

Throughout the novel, Rusty faces a constant struggle- finding himself. When his mom dies, he travels to Canada to finalize her will, but what he finds is a lot more than a lawyer. He realizes that all these years he's been something J.D. Salinger would only describe as a "phony". Through long walks and deep talks with Papa McCreary, he discovers that he's been pretending to be an average, run-of-the-mill city slicker, but in all actuality, he discovers he has much more to offer in the world.
“I've filled the page with signatures- these sundry inscriptions of my name, I examine each: they look like a strangers attempt to impersonate me.
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Picture The City …show more content…

"Papa McCleary's eyes dragged over the landscape like he would never see it again... memorizing the craters of the rocks, and the rise and fall of the inescapable plateau"(106 Horton).
- In this case, Horton uses the words "dragged" and "inescapable" to convey his confusion and disapproval of the amount of time Papa McCreary was spending, simply looking at the forest. Rusty at this point has yet to discover himself and his love for the remote forests of Canada.

2. "I felt like an explorer who had discovered an untouched nirvana. It was as though, in the chilled early morning hush, we were the only souls on the planet" (286 Horton).
- Anthony again uses diction in words like "nirvana" and "souls" to convey his newfound peace with not only nature, but also himself.

3. "Mass general was a clean, sterile, and private hospital, where elderly patients came to quietly accept that their money would ultimately fail to save them from their own mortality"(19).
- This is towards the beginning of the novel, when Rusty is with his mom in the hospital before she dies. Rusty still has yet to lead his path towards self-discovery, and he is still very …show more content…

When Rusty boards the airplane, he reveals his thoughts about his (fake) love of the city. The fear of planes is more of an ironic thing than anything else. I mean think about it. This guy who just expressed his love for smoke and buildings and pollution, and to think he's scared of a little plane. Bam. Irony."

Q: What inspired you to write this novel? Is it based on any truth or personal feelings?
A: "Of course. I feel like every author generates a little truth behind each novel. I grew up in Toronto, with all the billboards and flashing lights and Niagara Falls and what not, so as a kid I always dreamed of camping. Of getting away from the hustle and bustle and tourism. To this day, camping is my favorite thing to do in this world. Too bad your mom hates it."

Q: How old where you when you began writing this book and when did you finish?
A: "Lets see, I was 18, on my second year of university, and I finished about 5 years ago."

Q: Can you relate to Rusty, and his newfound lifestyle?
A: Yes, of course. When I first started writing this novel, I had just moved to Kitchener, an area where everybody knew everybody. No kidding. I literally walked past the Tim Hortons (a Canadian coffee shop) and I knew all the employees' names. Anyway, I discovered that there's more to life than the busy, busy, go, go, go, life I lead in Toronto, similar to

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