Part A What is a central idea of "Mending Wall"? The speaker argues with his neighbor because he believes that walls are necessary, and his neighbor does not. Two neighbors agree that they should work together to rebuild a wall each spring. The speaker persuades his neighbor to accept his view that building a wall will improve their relationship. Two neighbors have different ideas about the role that borders serve in maintaining relationships between people. Question 2 Part B How do the characters contribute to the development of the central idea in Part A? The speaker likes the idea of shared nature, while the neighbor wants to protect the land he owns from others. The neighbor thinks that the wall guards against hunters, while the speaker thinks it doesn't stop them. The speaker thinks mischievous of elves are responsible for tearing down the wall, while the neighbor thinks it's the cows. The speaker knows grazing cattle should be fenced in their pasture, but the neighbor wants to let them graze freely.