Walls Within Walls

Walls Within Walls sets up its recurring concept of layering from the beginning through its title. Directly referring to the original walls of the Post home hidden behind new walls, the idea of the novel having “walls within walls” creates a foundation for layering and secrets. However, the Post estate established “rules saying the walls couldn’t ever be removed” (6). No matter how much work goes into hiding secrets, such as the mural and library book behind the new walls, they cannot remain hidden forever and always risk coming to light. Some may come to light accidentally, such as when the Smithforks find the painted eye when a grille “tip[s] and smashe[s] dramatically downward, clattering onto the rosewood floor” (7). Through the dramatic fall of the grille, Sherry foreshadows the dramatic reveal of other accidentally revealed secrets—the Smithforks saying they know who Eloise Post is and Julian Post revealing his identity are two key examples of this situation.

In contrast, Sherry also portrays secrets that come to light through personal sacrifice. When returning the forgotten copy of Treasure Island, the Smithforks become “entitled to the package—that is, if the fines are paid up” (35). Rather than stumbling across the secret poetry book, they must sacrifice buying one school uniform. When faced with the choice, “[they] grin[] at each other and return[] to the woman at the desk” (36). Their sacrifice opens a new journey, and Sherry begins setting the foundation for one of the novel’s central themes: The Thrill of Solving Mysteries and Deciphering Clues. Rather than portraying the Smithforks as put out, Sherry chooses to show the Smithforks as gleeful. They may get in trouble, but the rewards from a successful treasure hunt outweigh the cost they must pay in Sherry’s and the Smithforks’ minds.

Alongside introducing the theme of solving mysteries, Sherry also sets the stage for the theme of Family Dynamics and Teamwork in Problem-Solving. She does this by instilling each Smithfork with a characteristic that becomes their epitaph—she uses their challenges to define them, but in a way that concurrently shows what they offer to the treasure hunt. For example, Patrick’s dyslexia challenges his reading ability, but he makes up for that struggle with attention to detail and noticing information the other two miss. One example occurs when he lies on the floor and looks at the poetry book. Where Brid and CJ only see an ink blob, Patrick notices “one long, stretched word, only recognizable to someone looking carefully at the exact right level” (64). CJ and Brid assumed the mark to be an insignificant ink blob; only Patrick, through his attention to detail and perspective, sees what the others miss. This becomes a recurring observation within the theme and speaks to a broader meaning. Each person brings a different perspective to the task within the thrill of solving mysteries and deciphering clues. Sherry uses Patrick to demonstrate that not understanding the problem at first does not negate one’s opportunities to contribute—one just needs to reconsider one’s perspective.

Sherry creates a contrast in family dynamics with the introduction of the Williamsons, who live a very different life than the Smithforks. Lukas and Lily use more formal speech than Brid, CJ, and Patrick—partly because they attend an English boarding school and partly because of the expectations that come from being part of an elite social class. Their parents are mostly absent, and they are accustomed to being cared for by a French servant, with whom they converse in French. They are careful not to wear shoes at home to keep the place clean and sanitary. Meanwhile, although the Smithforks have recently become wealthy, the children have not fully shed the casual demeanor and informality of their previous life in Brooklyn. The reader’s first glimpse of them is throwing a ball at the boxes of their belongings, an activity that leads to a physical brawl. They are still adjusting to having a nanny because their mother is now out of the house most days. The Smithfork children quarrel with each other, deceive the nanny, and miss their old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Their family dynamic is quite different from the Williamson children, but it does not impede their ability to get along when needed and to work together to solve the mystery presented to them.

Finally, Sherry sets a fast narrative pace from Chapter 1. The Smithforks break the grille at the end of Chapter 1, and at the beginning of Chapter 2, they unknowingly get their first clue about the treasure hunt. The Smithforks get very little time to process what happens as the plot moves from clue to clue and from location to location. From the outside, Sherry aims to recreate the thrill of getting swept up in the clue hunt for the reader. She gives few plot points much focal time; instead, she only provides the necessary information for that particular moment. Few details exist beyond what the Smithforks require for deciphering Mr. Post’s poems; by doing this, Sherry creates two simultaneous situations. First, she creates a situation where a reader may apply outside knowledge of New York to the novel as a chance to “race” the Smithforks in understanding the clue. Second, Sherry creates a parallel emotion—she wants the audience to feel like the Smithforks, dependent on Eloise and others to fit in the final pieces.