Setting

Published in 1997, the short story “On Pale Green Walls” by Clare Wigfall is set during the Christmas holidays in an unnamed town, probably in Britain (the story is written in British English).

Physical setting

The places which make up the physical setting are the streets, the church, and the narrator’s house.

The action starts on Christmas night when the streets are busy, and the church is full of people: “...the night was ever so sharp and felt like needles when it hit your face. On the way, we pretended to be smoking, clamping imaginary cigarettes between our lips before exhaling with a billowy mist of breath.” (ll. 2-4); “Everyone was moving and stamping warmth back into their feet, their silhouettes lit by the shivering light of the candles. They were brushing past us, three times larger than usual for the layers of clothing they were wearing...” (ll. 5-8)

The same streets and church are depicted after the Christmas holiday, contrasting with the first descriptions:

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Social setting

The social setting of the story explores aspects of faith (religion) and the interaction between adults and a disabled child.

The narrator of the story is a mute child named Violet. Because she is mute Violet can neither ask questions which would help her better understand the world of the adults, nor express herself.

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