Once again, the literature reviewed here bears the Newbery Medal, thus ensuring to be a wonder to read and analyze. The Door In the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli talks about a boy named Robin who grew up in a nobel family. The story is set in Medieval England, at the time of the Black Death. After his parents had to leave, Robin caught a disease that disabled his legs. He was taken in by a monk named Brother Luke. Gradually, Robin learns new skills and abilities, overcoming his crippled legs to still lead a good life and fight through challenges, fulfilling his wish and his father’s. In the end, Robin has to set on a mission that would challenge his courage, strength, and determination. Ultimately, he reunites with his family. This story uses very accurate language, with pronouns from the actual Middle Ages, and clear descriptions of the places and types of people at that time. And as with any other Newbery Medal book, it is host to numerous themes, some clear, some not. In this book review, we are going to discuss the most important themes apparent in this award-winning work of literature.
“The door in the wall” has a deeper, more sophisticated meaning than what it seems. The door in the wall is a statement used throughout the book and on the title. Its meaning is metaphorical. The wall in this phrase means hardships or challenges of any kind, a barrier keeping one from doing something. Thus, the door is fighting through the challenges. They are opportunities and pathways, overcoming one’s problems with new skills and perseverance. In the story, Robin’s parents left him and Robin also got crippled legs. He couldn’t read or write, and the Black Death was present. However, living with Brother Luke, he learned to read and write and exercise. Gradually, his arms grew stronger, and he could walk on his own with crutches. He had friends, and reunited with his parents. Several times, Brother Luke mentioned the metaphorical door in the wall. Although Robin faced many challenges, he was able to overcome them and open new doors in walls, leading to new opportunities and new life. Robin used determination to power through hardships. The door in the wall symbolizes overcoming challenges with perseverance and opening new opportunities and pathways.
By never giving up and fulfilling our goals, we grow up and mature to become a better person. As we mature, we learn to never give up and persevere. We learn to complete the goals we set off to do, and during the process, we grow. We acquire new knowledge and traits, helping to lead a better life and become stronger, kinder, and wiser. Maturity not only means growing up physically, but mentally and psychologically as well. That is its true meaning. In the story, Robin learns new skills and abilities. He learns to never give up and persevere to achieve something. As the book progresses, Robin gets stronger, more knowledgeable, and ultimately fulfills his own goals and his fathers, of showing knighthood even if he is crippled. By doing these actions, Robin matures, becoming physically stronger, mentally wiser, and more determined. He matures by showing that even though he has a leg disability, he can still complete his goal for knighthood and open lots of doors in walls. Maturity is growing up in the mind and body, through fulfilling our dreams and persevering through difficulties.
Religion is an important part of the life of those who believe in it. For religious people, there is a deity above, God, who guides us through our lives and helps us make the right choices. God. Thus, religious belief is crucial to those who believe in it. When facing difficulties, one prays to God to bring success and overcome these challenges. God created life, we should always be thankful of His presents that he has bestowed upon an individual or for human kind. Everything in life, successes and failures alike, was the doing or prompt of God, giving chances and gifts. In the story, Brother Luke, among other monks, all believed in God. So did Robin and every other character. They constantly prayed to God for different things, and thanked God for the successes Robin had throughout the story. It is clear that religious belief is a huge part of the story, and in the perspective of Brother Luke and others, all this really came down to God, giving them the chance of success and granting their prayers. For religious believers, God is the ultimate decider of one’s life, a kind deity whom we should be thankful for and pray to.
In conclusion, The Door In the Wall is a work of literature that deserves to be a Newbery Medal winner. The language that fits with the setting tells a marvelous tale well sauced with themes crucial to the deeper development of the story. The first theme is represented through a metaphorical phrase used repeatedly throughout the story and on the title: The “door” in the “wall”. Here, the wall means difficulties, challenges, and hardships. The door means fighting through them, learning new skills and opening new opportunities to overcome challenges. The second theme is maturity and growing up. As the story progresses, we see the main character Robin grow up by learning new abilities despite his crippled legs, persevering, and ultimately fulfilling his and his father’s goals of knighthood. The third theme is religious belief. In the story, God is constantly mentioned, and everyone in the story is religious. When facing challenges, we pray to God for help, and thank him for the presents he bestowed upon us. God helps us progress through life, and he causes all good things that we experience. The Door In the Wall is a wonderful book with great language and themes, and I would definitely suggest reading this book.
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