Question

How do the views of the speaker's neighbor in "Mending Wall" help develop its central idea?

Answer 1

Answer:

A: The neighbor's belief in the need for a wall is why the two men must go through the trouble of rebuilding this one.

Explanation:

The speaker in the poem Mending Walls is apparently opposed to the idea of building a wall. To him, it is needless because walls simply serve the purpose of keeping animals or intruders away. In this case, there were no animals so he did not see the need for these walls. His neighbor was opposed to the idea because of his traditional views of the matter. To him, Good Fences make for good neighbors.

Since he is not receptive to the idea of having no walls, the speaker must cooperate with him to build the wall.