Alex+Book+2

The City and the City By China Melvile

Setting- //The City & the City // takes place in the cities of Besźel and Ul Qoma. These two cities actually occupy much of the same geographical space, but via the volition of their citizens (and the threat of the secret power known as Breach), they are //perceived// as two different cities. The citizens of one city must dutifully 'unsee' (that is, consciously erase from their mind or fade into the background) the citizens, buildings, and events taking place in the other city — even if they are an inch away. This separation is emphasized by the style of clothing, architecture, gait, and the way citizens of each city generally carry themselves. Residents of the cities are taught from childhood to recognize things belonging to the other city without actually //seeing// them. Ignoring the separation, even by accident, is called "breaching" - a terrible crime by the citizens of the two cities, even worse than murder.

We were enclosed by dirt colored blocks, from windows out of which leaned vested men and women with morning hair and mugs of drink, eating breakfast, and watching us. pg1 The grass was weedy, threaded with paths footwalked between rubbish, rutted by wheel tracks. pg1 The other city felt dark and deselet, the more depressing version of ours. pg64 Plot- media type="custom" key="14060170" Theme- The cities are so closey related, but the people act as if they are on different planets. Almost like zombies they dont care what anybody else is doing. It shows you that in this part of Europe strange legends and folk tales are very serious. The relationship between the cities is like that of Julius Caesar and Brutus.

Characters- Tyador Borlu is from the extreme crime sqaud. Hes old and been in the buisness for a while. "He's a bit of a hard ass, but is the best we've got." - pg7 He could tell wether your lying or not by just looking at you. - pg73 "When I pulled up I saw him standing at the corner, i was nervous when I approched him, he looked mysterious yet calm. - pg 195 Shuckman is the medical examiner, and long time friend of Borlu.  Shuckmen bent down to observe the body, and gave a slight wheeze. -pg7. You can tell he was an older person.  He is verey smart to, he could tell that the body wasnt killed there. - pg7

Figurative Language- Nothing is still like the dead. The wind moves their hair, as it moves mine. But yet they dont respond. The city was dark and deselt almost like the cities you see in comic books. This mans house was so neat and organized, it had everything lined up perfectly like walking into a museum.