The Door In The Wall

In The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli, there is a boy who faces hard trials. Robin is his name. His father goes to war and his mother goes to help the Queen at a time when plague is spreading across the land. Robin is schooled to go to war, too, but the day after his mother leaves, he loses all control of his legs; he becomes paralyzed. Robin has no one to care for him, so he is taken to a monastery, where a monk named Brother Luke tends to him.

Brother Luke helps Robin to grow stronger. He takes him swimming often, and soon Robin is strong enough to use crutches. Robin’s father learns of Robin’s state. He sends Robin to Sir Peter’s castle. John-go-in-the-Wynd, Robin’s father’s messenger, also goes. Robin worries that Sir Peter would not accept him, but to his surprise, Sir Peter loves him. There, Robin makes many friends.

One day, when a thick fog surrounds the castle, invaders attack. John, the messenger, who could have sent for help, is far away in the mountains. Robin must therefore go on a mission to save the kingdom. Always during these hard times Brother Luke says to “find the door in the wall.” Robin must swim across an ice-cold, rushing river, and get past an enemy soldier before he arrives to John in the mountains. When he arrives, Robin tells John everything, and John finds reinforcements, who eventually protect the kingdom from the invaders. Because of Robin’s efforts, the kingdom is saved, and Robin becomes a hero.

What Marguerite de Angeli intends for the reader to recognize is that someone can appear to offer very little – to be an outcast, different – yet can someday be the hero, savior and champion. Robin had doubted himself – “Will Peter want me? For how shall I be an esquire or even a page?” – but acted heroically despite those doubts.

In a similar way, Robin resembles Christ. Jesus was born in a stable and started low in life. People doubted Christ, as Robin had doubted himself. Jesus saved his world; Robin saved his kingdom.

The Door in the Wall inspires me. It teaches me that, if you put your mind to it, you can move mountains. I love the simple faith in this story. This story also illustrates so many virtues: Love, happiness, fortitude, justice and wisdom.

I rate The Door in the Wall ten out of ten.