The City We Became

by

N. K. Jemisin

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The City We Became makes teaching easy.

The City We Became Symbols

Tendrils

The white tendrils infecting New York City represent outside forces that can manipulate a community to stoke prejudices within it and to homogenize it. When characters, Manny first sees the tendrils, he recognizes that they…

read analysis of Tendrils

Better New York Foundation

The Better New York Foundation symbolizes how outside money can gentrify communities without those communities’ consent. In the novel, great cities can come alive and choose a human protector, an “avatar,” from among its human…

read analysis of Better New York Foundation

Police

The police symbolize how some abusers pose as defenders of their victims—sometimes even convincing the victims themselves to act against their best interests. In the  novel’s universe, great cities can become alive and sentient, at…

read analysis of Police