The man that was being bricked up in the wall (kinda foggy on names) effectively screwed over the man doing the bricking. The man doing the bricking wanted to get back at him so he chained him in the basement and built a wall around him. Supposably he was left there to die.<span />
It can be both, because the definition of blithe is “showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper.” And that is negative, but the other definition is “happy or joyous.” Which is positive
