The war of the wall - by toni cade bambara

what makes a community?
much like feeling the special bond of family, belonging to a community can give people feelings of identity and security. what things in the community contribute to those feelings? in “the war of the wall”, an ‘outsider’ comes to a town and challenges its residents’ idea of what it means to be a community.

a story usually has one main theme, but it may also have other themes. to determine the story’s theme or themes:
note the setting of the story and how it might relate to the plot and characters
make inferences about character motivations and relationships
note what conflicts arise and how they are resolved

a theme may be indicated through the lessons learned by the characters in a particular setting. as you read “the war of the wall” keep these tips in mind in order to identify the story’s themes!

why is the wall special to the narrator and lou?

why don’t lou and the narrator carry out their plan to recapture the wall?

reread the final three paragraphs of the story - how do you think the two boys feel about having bought paint once they read the inscription on the wall? explain.

was the painter an “outsider” or a part of the community? why?

“the war of the wall” is told from the first person point of view. everything we learn about the characters and plot comes from what the narrator chooses to tell us. for that reason, we don’t know very much about the painter’s thoughts and feelings.

what do you think the painter may have been thinking about the community? why? provide some depth of thought here (with examples from the story, if possible).