The City and Its Uncertain Walls

The wall that surrounds the town in The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a symbol of the divide between reality and unreality. It is a barrier that keeps the world of illusion and reality from mixing and presents a challenge to any and all that seek to pass through it. The wall is made of impenetrable bricks, and at times it even acts as though it were alive, adapting to the changing requirements of defense: “[I]t towered there imbued with its own will, its own unique life force. And the town was completely enveloped in its hands” (306). The line that divides reality and unreality is not fixed, and at times needs to change to keep the two worlds separate. The protagonist struggles with keeping reality and illusion separate, and his interactions with the wall show a constant battle, as it moves and speaks to him, promising to be ever present. M**’s brother explains the wall as a metaphor for individual consciousness: “I think the wall surrounding the town is the consciousness that creates you as a person, Which is why the wall can freely change shape apart from any personal intentions” (379).