Theme and message

The main theme of the short story “On Pale Green Walls” by Clare Wigfall is communication (or lack thereof). This theme is enhanced by motifs like self-expression (Violet expresses herself through drawings or gestures) and faulty relationships between children and adults.

Communication

The story explores the way in which faulty communication leads to misunderstandings between children and adults.

The story’s main character is a child who cannot express herself in the same language as adults because she is mute. Being mute and little, Violet has a harder time understanding concepts and ideas because she cannot question adults about them. In their turn, the adults around Violet make no effort to communicate effectively with the girl and treat her as if she is supposed to know and understand the adult world.

This leads to Violet not knowing what a priest is, the difference ...