The narrator, who seems to share a common attitude with their cousin Lou, begins by showing a very proprietary stance toward a particular wall. Located on Taliaferro Street, this wall seems central to the activities of the surrounding neighborhood. The narrator shares their initial concerns about the unwelcome intervention of the “painter lady” who has arrived from a different community. Because they consider the wall to be theirs, they discourage the painter lady from doing anything to it. Beyond their personal involvement, which includes pitching pennies against the wall, the narrator’s attitude toward the wall encompasses community pride.

They mention a variety of activities in which different community members engage against the backdrop of that wall. Particularly significant to the narrator is that they once chiseled into it the name of Jimmy Lyons, a Vietnam veteran who did not return from the war.

The narrator and Cousin Lou are discouraged when the painter lady ignores their input. Lou emphasizes the wall’s importance to the local children, saying that “this wall belongs to the kids of Taliaferro Street.” The narrator later expands on this idea, calling it theft; they think about soon telling their father “all about this rude woman who’d stolen our wall.”

Part of the narrator’s community spirit is their involvement with their own family. In particular, they mention helping their mother in the restaurant she runs and the fact that their father works in the fire station. In addition to their close relationship with Lou, they mention the time they plan to spend on a farm with their grandmother.