In the novel, Anna speaks of walls that are “unclimbable” (126),placing her, in her own mind, as an outsider. She is Other, and she feels this alienation from those that have little or no understanding of her situation, such as Hester, whose Britishness is injurious to Anna, or Vincent, whose male privilege places Walter and his agenda ahead of any real concern for her.

These walls also represent ways in which Anna is confined. Her loss of stability financially, emotionally and mentally leads her to be imprisoned in her own grief and depression. Even when she tries to leave her unfavorable situation with Ethel, she is unable to make a plan, and remains stuck in her sadness, the literal walls of her room, with the curtains pulled tight, made to a makeshift prison.

Most characters are bound to the circumstances that their age brings. Further, there no such age that is perfect in the novel; every era of life comes with its own set of difficulties. With Anna, her young age is held against her as she is thought to be naïve, when, in actuality, her skills of observation are highly astute and mature.