JOYCE CAROL OATES
47
cover of darkness.
It
is a commonplace belief that The Wall is made
of fairly smooth concrete, an ordinary enough material, and in itself
not particularly fearful. The top has been rounded for aesthetic and
security reasons: it is more attractive that way, and presents more
difficulties for those who try to scramble over The Wall using their
bare hands. (Barbed grappling hooks are said to be necessary for a
successful escape, but such grappling hooks are forbidden by law.
Indeed, there are those of us who have never seen a grappling hook,
not even a picture of one: yet we whisper the words "grappling hook"
amongst ourselves quite freely.) Our elders claim that The Wall did
not always have a rounded top, but it is difficult for most of the
population under a certain age - about forty - to remember any
other kind of top.
In heavily populated areas of the city there are two additional
"walls" or barriers. One is a wire-mesh fence with barbed wire at the
top, which is (evidently) electrified; another is a row of anti-tank
obstacles placed at five- or six-foot intervals . The obstacles, like The
Wall itself, are painted a uniform dove-gray, and are quite
attractive. Beds of yellow and purple pansies lend a cheerful touch :
nothing extravagant, but welcome to the eye.
In less populated areas The Wall stands majestically alone, and
in the burnt-out space before it landmines have been buried so
carefully that (so it is rumored) not even the shrewdest eye can detect
them. Nocturnal hares, poor creatures, frequently detonate these
explosives. They know no better. Weare often awakened from our
sleep by the sharp cracking thunder of an explosion: is it near, or
far? At such times we lie awake, not caring to speak, for what is
there to say? - the hares know no better, they are poor ignorant
beasts, and nuisances at that.
Two nights ago there was an explosion. Difficult to judge its
distance . To the east, to the west? -difficult to judge. Did you hear
that noise, one of us asks another softly, and the other says, Did I
hear what? or perhaps does not reply at all. What is there to say?
Nocturnal hares, nuisances.
The Wall is considered a work of art by some citizens, and an
abomination by others. The largest percentage of the population,
however, does not "see" The Wall at all- that is, literally.
Consequently The Wall elicits no emotion and, indeed, the term
The
Wall
is rarely used. The expression
over there
is fairly frequent, as in
(to a naughty child):
If
you don't behave I'll send you
over there.
