The Avenue

The actual name of the street was inferred as Mulberry Drive (26) and also as Maple Road (179), but the true name matters little as its lack of specificity is the symbolic gesture. The use of the generic “The Avenue” allows the realization that speculative and judgmental behavior can be found on any street, in any town, in any country. The novel is not simply exposing a neighborhood in England in 1976, but also mirrors the interaction of people in general.

Number Eleven, The Avenue

Walter Bishops house symbolizes what residents believe to be evil and unworthy. It takes a life of its own as neighbors speculate, stare and wish ill upon it. There are instances when Walter Bishop and his house are interchangeable, and other characters refer to Walter as “Number Eleven.” When objectified in this manner, it is easy to treat Walter as less than human...