A Likely Story: "The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara

The arrival of a stranger who begins painting on a neighborhood wall puzzles the narrator of this story, who feels the wall belongs to the community.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. courtesy
    a courteous or respectful or considerate remark
    Me and Lou had no time for courtesies.
    The Latin "cortem" means "enclosed yard" which was often part of a king's palace, where people were expected to be on their best behavior. Here, the painter is working on an actual wall that the narrator and his cousin believe belongs to them. This breaks the figurative walls that could exist between strangers of different ages and sexes. Thus, despite being late for school, the two boys stop to yell at the lady.
  2. permission
    approval to do something
    Stirring in the paint bucket and not even looking at us, she mumbled something about Mr. Eubanks, the barber, giving her permission.
  3. pitch
    throw or toss
    We've been pitching pennies against that wall since we were little kids.
  4. integration
    incorporating a racial or religious group into a community
    Big kids have been playing handball against the wall since so-called integration when the crazies 'cross town poured cement in our pool so we couldn't use it.
    Here, the actual wall serves as a play area. But it cannot compare to watery fun. The pool that was cemented over represents both a concrete wall and the refusal of the crazies to accept integration (the breaking down of social walls so that separate groups become one).
  5. chisel
    carve with an edge tool
    I'd sprained my neck one time boosting my cousin Lou up to chisel Jimmy Lyons's name into the wall when we found out he was never coming home from the war in Vietnam to take us fishing.
  6. convincing
    causing one to believe the truth of something
    I thought Lou sounded very convincing.
  7. haul
    draw slowly or heavily
    She just snapped the brim of her straw hat down and hauled her bucket up the ladder.
  8. slick
    having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light
    When we came from school, the wall was slick with white.
  9. satchel
    luggage consisting of a small case with a flat bottom
    Lou was about to say how hip it all was, but I dropped my book satchel on his toes to remind him we were at war.
  10. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    She was pulling the strings down and prying bits of tape loose.
    To pry also means to "inquire in an uninvited or presumptuous manner." This does not describe what the painter lady is doing in the example sentence. But it could describe what the kids, especially Side Pocket, want to do as they stare up at the painter lady's back.
  11. splatter
    dash a liquid upon or against
    He gave the painter lady the once-over, checking out her paint-splattered jeans, her chalky T-shirt, her floppy-brimmed straw hat.
  12. squinch
    cross one's eyes as if in strabismus
    She was rearing back on her heels, her hands jammed into her back pockets, her face squinched up like the masterpiece she had in mind was taking shape on the wall like magic.
    As a verb, "squinch" also means "draw back, as with fear or pain." Both can describe what the painter lady is doing with her face as she stares at the wall and seemingly tries to use her magical mind to finish her work. As a concrete object, a squinch is "a small arch built across the interior angle of two walls." This does not apply to the example sentence, but the supportive structure could be suggested by the nature of the painter lady's work (which includes a rainbow).
  13. hollow
    a cavity or space in something
    We could have been gophers crawled up into a rotten hollow for all she cared.
    As an adjective, "hollow" means "devoid of significance or point." The narrator imagines being inside a physical hollow, because the painter lady is ignoring them and making him believe their presence is emotionally hollow to her.
  14. concentration
    great and constant diligence and attention
    Lou was muttering something about how great her concentration was.
  15. trance
    a psychological state induced by a magical incantation
    Then she stepped down like she was in a trance.
  16. excuse
    ask for permission to be released from an engagement
    And then, without even excusing herself, she went back up the ladder, drawing on the wall in a wild way.
    To excuse also means to "defend, explain, or clear away by reasoning." Both definitions fit, since the narrator feels that the painter lady needs to both excuse herself from their presence and excuse what she's doing to their wall.
  17. spiritual
    concerned with or affecting the soul
    "I don't care who your spiritual leader is," Mama said in that way of hers.
    Here, Mama uses the word as a negative adjective to remind the painter lady that her focus is on the physical comfort of food. But as a noun, "spiritual" has an additional meaning for southern blacks, because it refers to a religious song that often focuses on freedom from slavery. This is later emphasized by the theme of the painter lady's mural.
  18. elder
    a person of more advanced age
    Me and Lou were cracking up in the kitchen, and several customers at the counter were clearing their throats waiting for Mama to really fix her wagon for not speaking to the elders when she came in.
  19. peek
    throw a glance at; take a brief look at
    Me and Lou peeked through the service window, wondering what planet the painter lady came from.
  20. strict
    characterized by severity or restraint
    Then Mama said she was sorry she'd been so impatient with the woman because she seemed like a decent person and was simply trying to stick to a very strict diet.
  21. scheme
    form intrigues in an underhand manner
    All weekend long, me and Lou tried to scheme up ways to recapture our wall.
  22. gather
    assemble or get together
    Half the neighborhood was gathered on the sidewalk in front of the wall.
  23. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    Mama beckoned us over.
  24. cue
    a tapering rod used to strike a ball in pool or billiards
    "Notice," Side Pocket said, stepping close to the wall with his cue stick like a classroom pointer.
    The example sentence describes a concrete cue stick. But the larger situation shows Side Pocket using the images on the wall as a cue ("a reminder for some action or speech").
  25. liberation
    the attempt to achieve equal rights or status
    "These are the flags of liberation," he said in a voice I'd never heard him use before.
  26. fierce
    marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
    There was a fierce-looking man with his arms crossed against his chest guarding a bunch of children.
  27. defend
    protect against a challenge or attack
    And the more I looked, the more it looked like the fierce man was not so much guarding the kids as defending their right to do what they were doing.
  28. inscription
    a short message dedicating it to someone or something
    "Read the inscription, honey," Mrs. Morris said, urging little Frieda forward.
  29. urge
    urge or force in an indicated direction
    She didn't have to urge much.
  30. dedicate
    address to or inscribe as a sign of honor or respect
    To the People of Taliaferro Street
    I Dedicate This Wall of Respect
    Painted in Memory of My Cousin
    Jimmy Lyons
    The chosen definition connects to the inscription, but the verb also means to "give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause." This deeper definition fits a description of what the painter lady does with the wall for her cousin, the neighborhood, and her belief in what's worth fighting for.
Created on Mon Mar 23 14:39:42 EDT 2015 (updated Mon Aug 06 15:22:02 EDT 2018)

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