The Door in the Wall 🚪 (Learn English with a Short Story) [962]

Hello listeners, welcome back to Luke's English podcast. How are you doing today? Hope you're doing fine. So in this episode, it's story time again. I'm

today? Hope you're doing fine. So in this episode, it's story time again. I'm

going to tell you another short story and use it to help you learn English.

Today's story is another one by HG Wells, one of my favorite authors. I

love his short stories. Uh this one is called The Door in the Wall, and it's considered to be one of his best short stories. It was first published in 1906, which obviously is quite a long time ago, but I've actually adapted the text

in this story for this episode. I've adapted it to make it more modern and more up to-date so that you can be sure that you're learning the kind of English that you could, you know, use today. It's not old-fashioned anymore. The

story is exactly the same. It's still kind of literary in style, but it's all been updated so that it's um not old-fashioned anymore. Now, the

structure of this episode is going to go like this. So, first of all, I'll tell you the story, and I'm going to start doing that in just a moment. The story

will probably take about 20 25 minutes, I think, which is normal for a story of this length. It's actually about 5,000 words, so it'll probably take about 20

this length. It's actually about 5,000 words, so it'll probably take about 20 minutes or more. Uh so, I'll tell you the story. Just listen, try to follow it, try to understand it, hopefully enjoy it. After that, I'll give you a

clear summary of the story in my own words so that you can check that you've understood everything. Then I'll do some discussion about the story's meaning.

understood everything. Then I'll do some discussion about the story's meaning.

What does it really mean? What do I think about it? Just sort of reflecting on the different interpretations and meanings of the story. Um, and then I'll do vocabulary teaching and explaining words and phrases which come up during

the story. And as you listen to the story, you know, the first time round,

the story. And as you listen to the story, you know, the first time round, as well as trying to focus on what's happening in the story and what it all means, you could maybe think about or predict which phrases, which words or

phrases do you think I will be teaching to you later in this episode.

Now, there's loads of vocab for me to go through. Okay, I've been through the story text and I've sort of selected various words and phrases. So there

there's loads of stuff for me to teach you in this story. So the the vocabulary explanations which I'm going to do in the second half of this episode might take a long time. So I will probably continue doing that in a premium episode

for premium subscribers. So rather than this being one super mega epic marathon of an episode, I'll probably start doing some vocab explanations here and then stop and continue the rest of that in a premium series for premium subscribers.

So if you want to get those episodes, too, just sign up for my premium subscription. You can get all the details at teacherluke.co.uk/premium.

subscription. You can get all the details at teacherluke.co.uk/premium.

Okay. Uh there is a PDF for this episode. It contains the text of the story that I'm reading and all the notes as well that I'll be reading from. Uh

that PDF is available free. You'll find a link for that in the episode description. Uh so we're going to start the story now. Let me just uh make sure

description. Uh so we're going to start the story now. Let me just uh make sure that I set myself a 30 minute timer for water as I try as I try not to break my

phone here. Okay, I've set a 30 minute timer to make sure I drink water. Um

phone here. Okay, I've set a 30 minute timer to make sure I drink water. Um

right so just before we begin here are some questions for you to consider uh and just thinking about these questions will help you to prepare yourself to understand the story uh properly. Okay. So first of all think about the title.

Uh what does the title suggest? What do you expect the door in the wall? Well

obviously this is going to be about a door in a wall but what kind of door?

What kind of wall? Uh what could be on the other side of that door anyway? The

door in the wall. What does that title make you think of as you listen to this?

What do you think about the main character who's called Lionel Wallace?

What do you think about him? What kind of person is he? What do you learn about his life? And as you listen, what do you think? Is Wallace telling the truth? Is

his life? And as you listen, what do you think? Is Wallace telling the truth? Is

he lying? Or is he just mistaken? Is Is he wrong somehow? So, is he telling the truth, lying, or mistaken? What really happens to Wallace at the end of the story? What do you think really happens to him? And also, as I said before,

story? What do you think really happens to him? And also, as I said before, which words or phrases do you think I might be explaining later in the vocab teaching section? Okay, so let's get started. Here is The Door in the Wall by HG

teaching section? Okay, so let's get started. Here is The Door in the Wall by HG Wells. Here we go. One quiet evening just under 3 months ago, Lionel Wallace

Wells. Here we go. One quiet evening just under 3 months ago, Lionel Wallace told me the story of the door in the Wall. At the time, I believed he was

telling the truth, at least as far as he believed it himself. He told it in such a sincere, straightforward way that I couldn't help but believe him. But the next morning,

as I lay in bed in my flat thinking about what he'd said, it felt different.

without his slow, serious voice, without the dim lighting and the calm atmosphere that had surrounded us the night before, and without the cozy comfort of dessert, wine glasses, and the elegant dinner we'd just had. The whole thing suddenly

seemed completely unbelievable. He was trying to be mysterious, I thought, and he did it really well, but I wouldn't have expected something like

that from him of all people. Later, as I sat in bed drinking my tea, I started wondering why his strange story had felt so real. Maybe, I

thought, it somehow expressed feelings or experiences that we all have, but which are impossible to describe in any other way. Surely it was just a tall tale or perhaps a metaphor for something, but it wasn't actually true.

Well, I don't think that anymore. My doubts have faded. I believe now as I believed when he first told me that Wallace did his best to tell me the truth about his secret. But whether he actually saw the things he described or

whether he only thought he did, whether he really had access to something special or was just a victim of a strange dream, I don't know. Even the

circumstances of his death, which finally put an end to all doubt, don't make things any clearer. That is something you will have to decide for yourself.

I can't remember what I said that made Wallace, usually such a private man, open up to me. I think I'd criticized him for being unreliable during an

important public campaign. He disappointed me. But then, very suddenly, he said, "Look, I've had something on my mind." I know, he continued after a pause. I've been careless.

But the truth is, it's not ghosts or anything like that, but it's strange. Redmond, I feel haunted.

Haunted by something that seems to drain the joy out of everything, something that fills me with a deep longing. He stopped, caught by that typical

English shyness that often stops us from talking about anything emotional, serious, or beautiful.

"You were at St. Affleston's the whole time," he said, suddenly changing the subject. Or so I thought. Then, hesitantly at first, but more easily, as

subject. Or so I thought. Then, hesitantly at first, but more easily, as he went on, he started to tell me about the thing he'd kept hidden all his life.

It was a powerful memory of beauty and happiness that had stayed with him since childhood. So strong in fact that it made the ordinary world seem boring and

childhood. So strong in fact that it made the ordinary world seem boring and pointless by comparison. Now that I know about it, I can almost see it in his face. I even have a

photograph of him where that distant dreamy expression has been captured perfectly. It reminds me of something a woman once said about him. a woman who'd loved him deeply.

perfectly. It reminds me of something a woman once said about him. a woman who'd loved him deeply.

Sometimes all of a sudden he just stops paying attention. He forgets you. It's

like you don't exist anymore, even when you're standing right in front of him.

But Wallace wasn't always detached like that. When he did focus on something, he could be very successful. In fact, his life was full of accomplishments. He'd

left me behind a long time ago, risen far above me, and achieved things I never could. He was still under 40, and people were saying he would soon be in

never could. He was still under 40, and people were saying he would soon be in the cabinet, and I believe he would have if he'd lived. At school, he always beat me without

even trying. We were both at St. Atheon's College in West Kensington for

even trying. We were both at St. Atheon's College in West Kensington for most of our school years. We started at the same level, but he finished way ahead of me, winning scholarships and awards with ease. I did all right, too,

but nowhere near his level. It was at school that I first heard about the door in the wall, and then only a month before his death, I heard about it again. To Wallace at least, the door in the

wall was a real door set in a real wall leading to something eternal and wonderful. I believe that now. And it entered his life when he was very

wonderful. I believe that now. And it entered his life when he was very young, about five or six. I remember how serious he looked as he tried to work

out exactly when it happened. "There was a red Virginia creeper growing on the wall," he said. The whole thing was bright red in the sunshine

with a white wall behind it. That stuck in my memory, though I'm not sure why.

There were horse chestnut leaves on the pavement outside the green door. Yellow

and green, not brown. So, they must have just fallen. That would make it October.

I think I should know. I always look at chestnut leaves in autumn. If I'm right, I was about 5 years and four months old. He said he was a clever little boy,

talked early, thought clearly, and was so mature for his age that he was allowed to do more than most children. His mother had died when he was two, so

he was raised mostly by a nurse who wasn't too strict. His father, a serious and busy lawyer, didn't pay much attention to him, though he expected a

lot. Even though Wallace was bright, I think he found life dull. And then one day he wandered off.

lot. Even though Wallace was bright, I think he found life dull. And then one day he wandered off.

He couldn't remember exactly how he got away or which streets he took in West Kensington, but he remembered the white wall and the green door very clearly.

Even as a child, the moment he saw the door, he felt something strange, an attraction, a desire to open it and go inside. But at the same time, he felt it

might be wrong or dangerous. Still, he knew he was sure that the door wasn't locked and that he could go in if he wanted to. I can picture the little boy

drawn to the door, but afraid. For some reason, he also felt sure that his father would be very angry if he went through it. Wallace described every moment of hesitation. He walked past the door with his hands in his pockets,

trying to whistle, pretending to be casual. He passed a row of shabby shops, especially one belonging to a plumber and decorator, filled with dusty pipes, pattern books, and cans of enamel paint. He stood there pretending to look at

everything, but in his heart he wanted desperately to turn back and go through that green door.

Then all of a sudden, the feeling overwhelmed him. He ran, stretched out his hand, and pushed the door open. It closed behind him with a bang, and just

like that, he was inside the garden that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Wallace had a hard time describing what the garden was really like.

There was something in the air, he said. Something that made you feel light, happy, and full of joy. The colors were perfect, so vivid, so clean, and everything just felt right.

The moment I stepped into the garden, I felt a kind of happiness I've only ever felt a few rare times in life. when you're young and full of wonder and

everything around me was beautiful. He paused to think before continuing.

You see, he said slowly like someone unsure whether people would believe him.

There were two big panthers there. Yes, real spotted panthers.

But I wasn't scared at all. There was a wide path with marble edges and flower beds along both sides and these two big softl lookinging panthers were playing

with a ball. One of them looked up and walked over to me curious. It rubbed its ear gently against my hand and purrred. It was an enchanted garden, he said

firmly. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I know it was. and the size of the

firmly. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I know it was. and the size of the place. It stretched out as far as I could see in every direction. I think

place. It stretched out as far as I could see in every direction. I think

there were hills in the distance. Who knows where West Kensington had gone. It

was like I'd come home. As soon as the door closed behind me, I forgot everything. The road outside, the leaves, the passing cabs, the pull of

forgot everything. The road outside, the leaves, the passing cabs, the pull of home, the rules and discipline. I forgot my fears. I forgot to be careful. I

forgot real life completely. I became in that moment a very happy little boy in another world. It was a different kind of world, warmer, softer, more golden.

another world. It was a different kind of world, warmer, softer, more golden.

The sky was blue with little wisps of cloud touched by sunlight. And the path stretched out ahead of me, inviting me forward with beautiful flowers in beds

on either side, and the two panthers welcoming me like old friends. I stroked

their soft fur rubbed behind their ears, and they seemed to enjoy it. I felt like they were happy to see me. It all felt like coming home. Then a tall blonde girl appeared. She

smiled at me, came over, picked me up, kissed me, put me down, and took my hand. There was no shock or confusion, just a wonderful feeling that everything

hand. There was no shock or confusion, just a wonderful feeling that everything was exactly as it should be, like I was being reminded of something happy I'd forgotten.

We walked up some wide red steps that led between tall spikes of delphiniums. At the top we came to a long avenue lined with ancient shady trees. Between

their trunks were marble seats and statues. White doves flew around tame and friendly. She led me along this cool path. I remember looking up at her kind,

and friendly. She led me along this cool path. I remember looking up at her kind, beautiful face and her gentle smile. She asked me questions in a soft voice and

told me things, nice things, I think, but I can't remember what they were.

Then a small capuchin monkey came down from a tree and ran alongside me. It had

reddish brown fur and friendly hazel eyes. It grinned up at me and then climbed onto my shoulder.

And that's how we continued. Me, the girl, and the monkey so happy together.

He stopped for a moment. "Go on," I said. I remember more little things. We passed

an old man lost in thought among some laurels and a place filled with colorful parakeetses.

Then we went through a cool shaded colonade into a wide peaceful palace full of fountains, beautiful objects, and a feeling of pure joy. There were lots of people, some I

remember clearly, others not so much, but all of them were kind and lovely.

Somehow, without words, they made me feel completely welcome, completely loved. The way they touched my hand, the way they looked at me, it filled me with happiness.

loved. The way they touched my hand, the way they looked at me, it filled me with happiness.

He paused again. I found playmates there, he said. That meant a lot to me. I'd always been a lonely child. We played wonderful games in a grassy courtyard with a sundial

lonely child. We played wonderful games in a grassy courtyard with a sundial surrounded by flowers. And while we played, I felt so much love.

But it's strange, he continued. I don't remember the games themselves. I never

could. Even as a child, I spent hours trying to remember exactly how we played, crying sometimes with frustration. I just wanted to play those

games again alone in my nursery. But all I can remember is the feeling of joy and the two special playmates who were always with me. Then a seriouslooking woman appeared.

She was wearing a soft, long, pale purple robe and carrying a book. She

called me over and though my playmates didn't want me to leave, she took me gently away. They stopped their game and watched us go. "Come back soon," they

gently away. They stopped their game and watched us go. "Come back soon," they called, but the woman didn't respond. Her face was calm and kind. She took me

up to a gallery above a hall, and we sat down together. She opened the book on her lap and showed me the pages. They weren't pictures, you understand. They

were real living scenes. He looked at me carefully as if unsure I'd believe him.

Go on, I said. I get it. They were real. Yes. People moved and spoke in them. I saw my mother, my dear mother, who I'd nearly forgotten. Then I

saw my father, strict and serious, the servants, the nursery, all the things from home. Then the front door and the busy streets. I watched, amazed, turning

from home. Then the front door and the busy streets. I watched, amazed, turning pages quickly, wanting to see more. And then I came to the page where I stood

outside the green door, hesitating. I remembered the conflict and the fear.

"What happens next?" I asked. I wanted to keep reading, but the woman's cool hand stopped me. Next, I repeated, pulling gently at her fingers, trying to

turn the page. As she let me do it, she bent down and kissed my forehead.

But the next page didn't show the garden. It didn't show the panthers or the kind girl or my playmates. It showed a gray street in West Kensington late in

the day before the street lamps were lit. I was standing there crying. I was

crying because I couldn't go back into the garden. I couldn't see my friends again. They'd called after me, "Come back soon." But now they were gone. The

again. They'd called after me, "Come back soon." But now they were gone. The

garden was gone. The woman was gone. He stared into the fire.

"Oh, how awful it was to come back," he whispered. Well, I asked after a moment.

I was just a miserable little kid again, back in the dull world. When I realized what I'd lost, I couldn't stop crying. And crying in public was so humiliating.

That shame, that grief, it's never left me. I remember an old man with gold glasses proddding me with his umbrella and saying, "Poor little chap, are you

lost?" And there I was, a London boy of five. A young policeman came and a crowd

lost?" And there I was, a London boy of five. A young policeman came and a crowd gathered around me and I was marched home sobbing and scared. That was the end of my visit to the

garden. The garden that still haunts me. I can't explain that strange dreamlike

garden. The garden that still haunts me. I can't explain that strange dreamlike feeling it had, but that's what happened. If it was a dream, it was the

most vivid daytime dream I've ever had. Of course, there was a lot of trouble after that. Everyone questioned me. My aunt, my father, the nurse, the

after that. Everyone questioned me. My aunt, my father, the nurse, the governness. I tried to tell them what I'd seen. My father beat me for lying.

governness. I tried to tell them what I'd seen. My father beat me for lying.

When I told my aunt again, she punished me for making things up. Eventually,

everyone was forbidden from listening to me. They even took away my fairy tale books for being too imaginative. Yes, they really did that. My father was

very old-fashioned. And so, my story was locked inside me. I whispered it into my

very old-fashioned. And so, my story was locked inside me. I whispered it into my pillow, crying softly. I always added a secret prayer to the end of my bedtime

prayers. Please God, let me dream of the garden again. Please take me back to the garden.

prayers. Please God, let me dream of the garden again. Please take me back to the garden.

I did dream about it often. I may have added things or changed parts of it. I'm

not sure. I'm just trying to piece together the memories of a very early experience.

There's a gap between that and the rest of my childhood memories. A time came when it felt impossible to speak of it again. Wallace paused. I asked him an obvious question.

"No," he said. "I don't think I ever tried to find my way back to the garden during those early years. It seemed strange now, but I suppose they kept a closer watch on me after that to make sure I didn't wander off again." "No, I

didn't try again until much later, after you and I had already met, and I think there was even a time when I completely forgot about the garden. Maybe when I was eight or nine. Do you remember me back then at St. Aston's?

Of course I do, I said. Did I seem like a boy with a secret dream? He smiled

suddenly. Did you ever play Northwest Passage with me? I played on my way to school. The regular route was boring, so the game was to find a new way, an

school. The regular route was boring, so the game was to find a new way, an unexpected route through unfamiliar streets that still got me to school on time. One day I took a wrong turn and ended up in some rather rough-l

time. One day I took a wrong turn and ended up in some rather rough-l lookinging streets on the far side of Captain Hill. I started to worry I'd be late, so I tried a street that looked like a dead end. But at the end I found

a narrow passage. I ran through it full of hope, and suddenly I recognized the street. I saw a row of old scruffy shops. And then there it was, the long

street. I saw a row of old scruffy shops. And then there it was, the long white wall and the green door to the enchanted garden. It hit me so suddenly.

The garden wasn't just a dream. It was real. He stopped for a moment.

But that second time, I didn't go in. I was older, a school boy now, not a carefree little kid. I was thinking about getting to school on time. I had a perfect record for punctuality and didn't want to break it. I remember

feeling the pull of the door, but also thinking, I've got to get to school, so I just ran past it. I even checked my watch. I still had 10 minutes left, but

I kept going. I made it to school just in time, out of breath and sweating.

Looking back, it seemed strange that I didn't go in, but I think I just assumed the door would always be there, that I could come back to it any time. I

probably saw it as a fun little secret I could explore later, something to return to when school wasn't getting in the way. The next day was a half holiday, and maybe I planned to go then, or maybe I got in trouble at school and didn't

have the time. I can't remember. What I do remember is that I couldn't keep it to myself. I told someone. Hopkins. Do you remember him? We called him Squiff.

to myself. I told someone. Hopkins. Do you remember him? We called him Squiff.

Yes, I remember Hopkins, I said. I didn't want to tell him. It felt wrong somehow, like breaking the rules, but he was chatty, and I couldn't think about

anything else. So, I told him, and of course, he told everyone. The next day

anything else. So, I told him, and of course, he told everyone. The next day during break I was surrounded by a bunch of older boys all teasing me and

demanding I tell them more about the garden. There was Forset Carnaby Moley Reynolds.

Do you remember them? And Craw, the composer's son. He actually said it was the best lie he'd ever heard. I was embarrassed but also a little proud that they were paying attention to me. But then Carnaby started calling me a liar.

I told them I could show them the green door, take them there in 10 minutes.

Carnaby insisted I prove it. He twisted my arm until I agreed. So off we went, me leading a group of six loud mocking school boys. My cheeks were red, my ears

were hot, my eyes stinging with tears. I was full of shame and I couldn't find the door. We never found it. I would have shown them if I could, but it was gone.

the door. We never found it. I would have shown them if I could, but it was gone.

After that, even when I was alone, I couldn't find it again. I searched for it many times during my school years, but it never appeared. The boys mocked me. Carnaby held some

kind of trial and called me a liar. I sneaked home that day, trying to hide how much I'd been crying. But I wasn't crying because of Carnaby. I was crying

for the garden. I'd hoped for a beautiful afternoon there, to see those kind faces, to play that forgotten game again, and I believed truly that if I

hadn't told anyone, I would have found it." He sighed. I had a rough time after that. I cried

at night and drifted through the days. My schoolwork suffered. You might

remember I started getting bad reports. It was you actually beating me in mathematics that snapped me out of it. Got me working hard again. He paused, staring into the fire.

I didn't see the door again until I was 17. I was on my way to Oxford, having just won a scholarship. I was in a cab heading to Paddington, smoking a

cigarette and feeling very grown up. Then suddenly I saw it. the white wall, the green door. That feeling came rushing back. I was so surprised I

didn't act fast enough. The cab had already turned a corner. I nearly

shouted at the driver to stop. I tapped on the roof, but then changed my mind. I

said, "It's nothing, just a mistake." And he went on. That night, after hearing I'd won the scholarship, I sat in my room with my father's rare praise ringing in my ears.

I thought about the door. If I'd gone through it, I thought I would have missed all of this. Oxford, my future career. I told myself I'd made the right choice.

And I threw myself into that career. I worked hard. I achieved things. But I've

dreamed about that garden so many times since then. I've seen the door four times since.

For a while, life was so exciting and full that the memory of the garden faded. What did I need with magical panthers when I had fancy dinners,

faded. What did I need with magical panthers when I had fancy dinners, beautiful women, and important friends? But disappointments came as they always do.

Twice I've been in love. I won't go into that, but once I was on my way to see someone I cared about deeply. I took a shortcut through a quiet street near

Earl's Court. Suddenly, there it was, the white wall, the green door. I

Earl's Court. Suddenly, there it was, the white wall, the green door. I

thought, strange. I thought this was in Captain Hill. I didn't stop. I was too focused on my appointment. I regret that now. I wish I'd just taken a quick look inside,

appointment. I regret that now. I wish I'd just taken a quick look inside, waved to the panthers, but I knew enough by then. If you hesitate, it's gone. That time really hurt.

He grew quiet for a moment. Years passed, no sign of the door, and then recently it came back. But by then something had changed in me. I felt

tired. Life had lost some of its color. Maybe it was over work, maybe just middleage. But I found myself longing for the garden again, and I saw the door

middleage. But I found myself longing for the garden again, and I saw the door three times in one year. The first time was during that rushed vote on the

tenants redemption bill. Remember that night? The government survived by only three votes. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hotchkiss. And

three votes. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hotchkiss. And

I had to rush back from Brenford in his cousin's car. On the way, I saw the door again.

It was lit by moonlight and our car's headlights. I shouted, "My god."

Hotchkiss asked, "What was wrong?" I said "Nothing." And the moment passed.

The second time was on the way to my father's deathbed. I couldn't stop then either.

The third time was just a week ago. I was walking with Girka and Ralph's after dinner. We were talking politics. my role in the new cabinet. It was

dinner. We were talking politics. my role in the new cabinet. It was

important. I couldn't just walk away mid-con conversation. And then there it was again, the green door. I walked right past it. I was so close.

If I'd stepped aside and opened it, who knows what might have happened. But I

didn't. I kept walking, thinking of what people would say if I vanished. A

cabinet minister disappears mysteriously. I couldn't take that risk.

Then he looked at me with deep sadness in his voice. So here I am, he said. Three times in one year I saw that door, the way out of all this dust and stress, out of this

noisy, empty life, and I didn't go in. If I ever see it again, I swear I'll go in and never come back. But I don't think I'll get another chance.

And now this regret is destroying me. I haven't done any real work in weeks. At

night when no one will recognize me, I wander the streets alone. Yes, people

would be shocked if they knew. A cabinet minister grieving over a door.

I can still picture his pale face and the strange serious light in his eyes.

I'm thinking of him now as I look at yesterday's Westminster Gazette on my sofa. It has the notice of his death at the club today. Everyone was talking

sofa. It has the notice of his death at the club today. Everyone was talking about him and the strange way he died. They found his body early yesterday near

East Kensington Station. He'd fallen into a deep construction pit, one of two large shafts being dug for a railway extension. The area was blocked off with

fencing, but someone had left a small door in the barrier unlocked by mistake.

He must have walked through it. I imagine him walking home from Parliament late at night, as he often did. Maybe the bright lights near the

station made that rough wooden door look like it was set into a white wall. Maybe

something stirred in his memory. Maybe he really believed he'd found the door in the wall. Was it ever real? I don't know. I've told the story just as he

told it to me. Some people will say Wallace was just hallucinating and that it was all a tragic coincidence. Maybe. But honestly, that's not what I

believe. Maybe you'll think I'm superstitious or foolish, but I'm almost

believe. Maybe you'll think I'm superstitious or foolish, but I'm almost certain he had a special gift, some strange ability to sense another world.

The door was real in its own way. Maybe it offered him a way out. Maybe it

really did lead to peace, beauty, and joy. Yes, he died. Maybe in a way the door

betrayed him in the end. or was it his final escape? That's the end of the story. So, what do you think everyone? Um, a couple of questions for you. What what do you

think? What are your immediate thoughts after listening to that? Um, did you manage to understand

think? What are your immediate thoughts after listening to that? Um, did you manage to understand everything? Obviously, that's one of the main questions. Did you manage to follow

everything? Obviously, that's one of the main questions. Did you manage to follow that? I'm going to explain. I'm going to go through the story again in a moment

that? I'm going to explain. I'm going to go through the story again in a moment just to kind of clarify it in perhaps more simple ways. Um, how did you how do

you feel about Wallace and his life? Um, what do you think of Wallace's story about the door and the incredible garden on the other side of it? So, is he lying

or was he lying? Uh, was he telling the truth or just somehow mistaken? meaning

um maybe he felt it was true for himself, but maybe the door wasn't real.

Maybe it was all just his imagination, some sort of hallucination or something like that.

Um but what is the what is the the sort of mystery? What's the solution to this weird mystery about this garden? And what happened to Wallace at the end?

First of all, did you understand how he died? And what do you think his death means? Um,

and finally, which bits of English, so which words and phrases do you think I'm going to explain later when I go through vocab? So, I'm going to kind I'm going to summarize the story and then I'm going to discuss what it all means in

terms of the themes and interpretations of the story in a moment and some of the things that it makes me think about. I'll go through that in a moment and then there'll be the vocab stuff. Let me just take a break for water and then we'll continue.

Okay. So, here is a summary of the story uh to help you check your understanding.

The door in the Wall is a rich symbolic short story full of psychological, philosophical, and social themes. We'll explore some of those themes in a moment, but first, let me just retell the story in my own words to make sure

you understood the basics. So here's what happens. Okay, let me just go through the story again. So the main details of this story are retold by Redmond, the narrator. So that's essentially the person who wrote the

story. Obviously the story was actually written by HG Wells, but uh the the main

story. Obviously the story was actually written by HG Wells, but uh the the main narrator is a person called Redmond. Okay, so Redmond is telling the main details, but the the main character is his friend Lionel Wallace. And Redmond

is essentially retelling Lionel Wallace's story as Lionel told it to him when they had dinner one evening. So the story starts with the narrator Redmond

at home in his flat thinking about his friend Lionel Lionel Wallace, the things that he told him the night before. Actually, I don't know if it is the night before, but anyway, he's thinking about Lionel Wallace and the things that

he told him and then the way that Wallace died. Apparently, Redmond and Wallace had dinner uh a month before and during that dinner, Wallace told

Redmond about a secret which he had kept his entire life. Redmond's, well, I say a secret he kept his entire life. He did actually tell some of the boys at school about it, but none of them believed him. But the secret really is the fact that

this experience he had as a child has it affected his entire life. Um, and it's something that he's carried with him for years. One of the most a sort of

profound experience that is really deeply affected him um in many ways during his adult life.

Um, and and something that explains the fact that perhaps Wallace has always seemed a little distant as a person. Um, and it could explain the fact that

he's never really been happy in his life. There's an explanation and Wallace tells Redmond all about it. And then Redmond explains that to us. So Redmond

first thought Wallace's story could not be true, but later because he thinks, "Oh, surely that wasn't true. Surely he was just trying to be mysterious."

But then later he decides that it is true. Or at least for Wallace it is true. That Wallace is being honest. So Wallace is the Redmond thinks Wallace is

true. That Wallace is being honest. So Wallace is the Redmond thinks Wallace is not lying, but isn't sure whether, you know, the the door and the garden really

are real, or whether they're some sort of figment of his imagination, or maybe he has access to some special thing that most normal people don't have access to,

like some sort of portal to some other world. Uh, so it's, you know, we've got options. Either Wallace is lying and Redmond doesn't think so, or Wallace is

options. Either Wallace is lying and Redmond doesn't think so, or Wallace is mistaken, meaning the whole thing is just a dream or a hallucination or something his mind has invented and in reality none of those things happened. He just imagined them.

Or somehow it is possible and uh Wallace is able to access uh a portal to some other magical world.

Um, in any case, uh, Redmond thinks that, um, at least for Wallace, what he's saying is true, but we just don't know how to explain it. Also, we learn at the start that Wallace is now dead. Um, and that happened, I think, very

recently, and um, Redmond uh, learned about it uh, in the newspaper the day before. So, here are the main details of the incredible and sad things that

before. So, here are the main details of the incredible and sad things that Wallace told Redmond during the dinner. So first we learn that Lionel Wallace was a serious, thoughtful and very intelligent man who worked as a

successful politician. So in terms of his career, he made it to the highest

successful politician. So in terms of his career, he made it to the highest level in politics in Britain and was about to be given a place in the cabinet. Uh that's basically um the the sort of highest level of government in

cabinet. Uh that's basically um the the sort of highest level of government in the UK. You've got the prime minister and then just under the prime minister

the UK. You've got the prime minister and then just under the prime minister you have the cabinet ministers. These are the people in charge of the important ministries like education and uh health and uh you know foreign

affairs and and so on. Right? So Wallace was a politician at the highest level very intelligent man. He had a successful career but he was never really happy. He was born into a

hardworking and successful family. So he was born into what sounds like a kind of pretty highass family or at least a family that um was a the father was a

high achiever. He was a successful lawyer, hardworking lawyer. So uh

high achiever. He was a successful lawyer, hardworking lawyer. So uh

Wallace was born into this environment but he had a sad childhood. His mother

died when he was very young and his father was very strict and serious. He didn't show him love. He

just had very high expectations of him. Wallace was raised by his father and a nurse and was educated to a very high level. So a lot of emphasis on his

school work and his career. But all through his life he was haunted by a specific and very vivid memory from his childhood. Normally right we use the word haunted to describe uh things that ghosts do like you know ghosts right?

You know what a ghost is? Ghosts normally haunt buildings. Like some old castle could be haunted by a ghost or a haunted house, a house where there's a ghost in it, right? But uh a person can be haunted by something as well, which

just means that there's like a bad feeling or something, a bad experience that stays with that person uh through their life and that stops them from

being happy. So Wallace was uh was haunted all through his life by a

being happy. So Wallace was uh was haunted all through his life by a specific and very vivid memory from his childhood. A time when he was about 5 years old and he walked away from his home on his own. So when he was five he

was actually quite a um quite an advanced child and he was given a certain amount of independence because he was quite grown up for his age. And

one day when he should have been studying, when he should have been probably sitting at his desk or something studying, he just walked off. He just wandered away and ended up in the streets um in Kensington near his home. So he just walked away from his

home on his own. He just walked off. He wandered through the nearby streets in Kensington in West London and discovered a mysterious green door in a white wall.

And it's not quite, we're not sure how he knew it was special, but he just for some reason he was just intensely fascinated by this door. He knew there

was something very special about it and he really wanted to open it, but also he knew that if he did open it, he would somehow be in big trouble with his father. So the door was there. He remembers it vividly. a white wall with

father. So the door was there. He remembers it vividly. a white wall with a red Virginia creeper, kind of a red creeping plant. You know, those plants that climb up walls with red leaves on it, a green door, white wall. He

remembers the pavement, the fact there were old leaves from the nearby tree on the ground. It's very vivid in his memory. Um, and he was attracted by this

the ground. It's very vivid in his memory. Um, and he was attracted by this door. He knew there was something special about it. He was desperate to

door. He knew there was something special about it. He was desperate to open it, but he felt like he really shouldn't. Like if he did open it, he'd be in big trouble with his father. That's sort of what this represented to

him. He tried to resist the temptation of the door, but in the end, he could

him. He tried to resist the temptation of the door, but in the end, he could not resist it. He opened the door and walked through. On the other side, he saw something incredible. And the descriptions of the garden are

rather wonderful in the story. Um it was an amazing garden full of beautiful things and a wonderful joyful and loving atmosphere. He felt very happy there.

Some of the things he describes in the garden there there were two large cats um panthers, not pummers, panthers. Um he says they're spotted panthers. I mean

I suppose those are leopards, right? two large cats basically which um is an extraordinary thing to see of course these two large cats normally dangerous predators but these ones were tame they were friendly they were playing with a ball they came over

they let him stroke their fur and they purrred which is that lovely thing that cats do when they're happy that sound that they make. There were beautiful flowers and trees statues a friendly monkey that sat on his shoulder. beautiful doves flying.

A pretty girl came and picked him up and gave him a kiss and then she led him through the garden. He met friendly children who played a wonderful game with him. The garden was huge with different areas and he could even see

with him. The garden was huge with different areas and he could even see hills in the distance even though he was actually in the middle of West London.

Right? So, this is obviously kind of an impossible an impossible place. Right?

Then a seriouslooking woman arrived and took him and took him away to another part of the garden. She showed him a book about his life. She sat down with him and showed him this book and the book showed him in living pictures

which um is kind of interesting because in 1906 there was no such thing as video I think. When was the first film ever created? Hold on. The earliest surviving

think. When was the first film ever created? Hold on. The earliest surviving moving film and what many consider to be the first motion picture captured by a single lens camera is the round a garden scene filmed in October 14th 1888 by

French inventor Louis leas in Leeds England. Um so basically okay so there there were moving images um like maybe 20 20 years before this story was written

but this this book with moving images or videos in it it's it sounds like a sort of uh a vision of a laptop computer or an iPad or something doesn't it um HG

Wells was famous for having these sort of um this vision in his stories of technology techologies or ideas, social changes that really did come true. So

essentially this this woman shows him an iPad or it's kind of like a p a book with pictures of his life, but the pictures are moving like films and the pictures show different stages of his life so far. And Wallace was amazed by

the book and wanted to see the next page and the next page. But when they arrived at the page which showed him at the door in the wall, Wallace suddenly found

himself outside the garden again and was alone in the street. So this picture book showing him stages of his life. What's happen? What happens next? What

happens next? they got up to the present moment him or just before the present moment him outside the door and then when they when he looked at that image he suddenly found himself in the street again alone in front of the door and the

garden melted away he was on his own on the pavement again and he was extremely sad in that moment to be away from the garden lost in the street presumably for some reason he couldn't just go back in I don't know why that is but anyway He

found himself lost in the street, but he knew he knew that the garden was gone.

He knew he couldn't go back in for some reason. And he cried and he felt very ashamed of himself standing there on his own crying in public. Strangers, people

he didn't know. Strangers gathered around curious about this young boy crying alone in the street. And he was there an old man said, "What are you doing?" or something and poked him with his umbrella. uh and eventually he was

doing?" or something and poked him with his umbrella. uh and eventually he was taken home by a police officer and then he was in very big trouble with his father who was angry with him. In fact, all the adults in his life were angry

with him. Nobody believed what he said about the garden. They accused him of

with him. Nobody believed what he said about the garden. They accused him of lying and they punished him. And Wallace was desperately sad, not just because he was being punished, but because he missed the garden and the friends he met

there and their game. Wallace's childhood was sad, lonely, and unhappy, and he always wished to go back and find the garden again where he could be with

his friends. He always tried to remember it. Before going to bed, he always hoped and

his friends. He always tried to remember it. Before going to bed, he always hoped and prayed that he would dream about it just in order to be able to go back in someday.

As time passed and as he grew up, he had to focus on his studies and his career.

As a school boy he was a high achiever and also in his career he was successful becoming a famous politician as I said a member of the cabinet involved in very important work in the government. There's also that passage about how one day

he uh he accidentally kind of told one of the kids at school about the door and they all none of them believed him and he decided he would take them and show them but he couldn't find it and they all accused him of lying and kind of

bullied him uh teased him about it um and he he really believed that if he hadn't been with all the other kids if he'd been on his own he would have been

able to find the door. So this odd experience of never being able to get back to the garden. Um

yeah, very successful academic life, successful career. But despite being a very bright person, his personal life was always dull and unhappy because compared to the memory of that garden, everything seemed lifeless. People who

knew Wallace said that he could be quite distant and detached. That's not really emotionally engaged. a woman who loved him, maybe a fiance, said that sometimes he would just seem

emotionally engaged. a woman who loved him, maybe a fiance, said that sometimes he would just seem lost in his thoughts and very far away. Presumably, this was during moments when he was dreaming about being back in that garden where he where he'd finally found

peace and contentment. Uh he always hoped to find the garden again one day where he could be happy, but he couldn't quite remember where the door was. Throughout his life, he tried to find that wall with its characteristic green door, but was unable to locate it. But sometimes, by

chance, he saw the door again, but he never went in. Each time he saw the door, just by chance, he had to prioritize other important responsibilities in his life, including

his schoolwork, uh his career, his love life, and the death of his father.

the the sort of the the the moment when his father was dying in bed and he had to go and visit him. Even though he saw the door, sometimes he was never able to take the time to go through it again and revisit the garden. At various times in

his life, he doubted his own experience in the garden as a small boy. He thought

he had just dreamed it or imagined it. And yet at other times he was certain that it was real and that if he could just go through the door again, he would definitely find himself back in the paradise of that garden once more and he

could find his friends again. But he never had the chance to go through the door again. And he never found fulfillment in his normal life. Always

door again. And he never found fulfillment in his normal life. Always

knowing that the garden was where he truly felt love and happiness.

He regrets focusing on his career and never choosing to return to the garden when he had those few chances to do it. Near the end of his life, at dinner with the narrator of this story, Redmond, Wallace is certain that the door is real

and has decided that if he has the chance to go through it again, he definitely will.

I just want to make a note here just, you know, obviously as you listen to this, you listen to my English. you don't just listen to the, you know, you're not just focusing on the story, but the way that I'm talking to you. Um,

verb tenses. This is something that does come up. Obviously, in the story, I think it's all written in past forms, but as I am um as I'm sort of like retelling the story, I'm using a lot of present tenses, but I I said that on the

podcast recently. I think I talked about this recently on the podcast that it's

podcast recently. I think I talked about this recently on the podcast that it's quite normal to if you're recapping the events of a story uh like if you're telling someone about um a book that you read or a film that you saw it's quite

normal to tell that story in present in the present form. This is because the the book the story the film whatever it is is actually a a um a permanent thing rather than just one series of events that happened once in the past there.

It's a permanent thing because you can go back and read the story again and again. So, it's quite normal to describe the story of a book or film or TV show

again. So, it's quite normal to describe the story of a book or film or TV show or something using present tenses. So, that's that's why I'm using a lot of pre present tenses here. There might have been a couple of past tenses when I

slipped into the past tense again, but normal it's normal uh to to recap the stories of books for example in in present forms by the way. So yes, the story ends ambiguously.

Uh Redmond reads in the newspaper that Wallace died in an accident. How did

Wallace die? He fell into a deep hole in the ground. Okay. The hole had been dug as part of a project to build a new underground train line. I think he fell into a deep shaft. A

shaft is like a a sort of u a say uh high but deep. Let's say a deep narrow hole for example the sort of thing that would be dug out in order to

create a space for a lift to go up and down an elevator right in American English. Lift in British English lifts go up and down in shafts. That's the

English. Lift in British English lifts go up and down in shafts. That's the

lift shaft or elevator shaft. So there was this um building site where they were building uh um an extension to a train station and part of the work

involved a deep deep hole, a shaft in going down into the ground and he fell into this shaft, one of the shafts, uh perhaps one that was going to be for a

lift, an elevator. Uh so the construction site where the accident happened was was blocked from the street by a temporary wooden wall which had a

door in it. Behind the door was the construction site and the deep hole, maybe a lift shaft, and someone had accidentally left that door unlocked.

So perhaps Wallace saw the door while he was walking home that night and in that poor light, maybe a street light or it was dark, you know, in the

poor light, it might have looked like his door in the wall. He might have seen this in the darkness, this this temporary wooden wall with this door in it. He might have seen that and it might have looked like his green door on a white wall and he took the

chance and went through it. But as soon as he did, he fell into this hole and fell all the way down to his death. So the narrator of the story, Redmond,

wonders what happened. Did Wallace think he had found his door in the wall? Did

he think it was his green door? Did he think he was going back into the garden?

Did he go back into his garden in fact or did he just die in a tragic accident or there's always the possibility that that he chose to do it knowing that he would fall down.

So either either it was an accident, it was um he did it on purpose or he really thought he was going into his garden. And did he somehow end up going back

into the garden in this other world even though his body in this life fell? Maybe

somehow in this other world he finally did go back to his garden or did he just die in a tragic accident? That's the sort of mystery really in the story.

Okay. So here uh talking points and questions for discussion. So, here are some questions for you to consider or discuss. Okay, I hope that I hope that you feel inspired

to kind of talk about what the story could mean. But here are some questions that you could answer. And you can try and actually uh give your answers out loud to these questions. That would be a good idea for speaking practice. You can

do that on your own. Try and say out loud uh your responses to these questions. Um, so did the garden really exist or did Wallace somehow imagine it

questions. Um, so did the garden really exist or did Wallace somehow imagine it or dream it? If he did dream it, why did that happen? Um, and in fact, how as

well? Um, I mean that these might be complicated sort of uh existential

well? Um, I mean that these might be complicated sort of uh existential questions, but still it's interesting stuff. What does the door represent in

this story and in Wallace's life? Did it represent freedom? Did it represent death? Was it paradise, madness, escape? What does the door Well, if the door and

death? Was it paradise, madness, escape? What does the door Well, if the door and the garden are symbolic as a way of describing something about Wallace's life, what do they symbolize? Why did Wallace not go through the door again

when he had the chance when he saw it at other times in his life? Why did he not go through the door again? Does Wallace's final entry into the door mean he finally found peace and

re-entered the garden? Or did he simply fall to his death because he was fooled by a delusion?

All of the So, so um the answers to that are really open to your interpretation.

I don't think there's one single answer. I think that's the idea that it's open to interpretation and it's a mystery and you can kind of come to your own

conclusion. But I'd like to know what your conclusions are. What do you think? Is the story tragic?

conclusion. But I'd like to know what your conclusions are. What do you think? Is the story tragic?

Is this a sad story or or not? If it is tragic, what exactly makes it tragic?

Why is it a tragic story? Or does it somehow have a happy ending? Is there

something positive in this? How does it make you feel? Can success be fulfilling? So talking about his career and his school life, uh can success be

fulfilling? So talking about his career and his school life, uh can success be

fulfilling? Can it make you feel um um can it make you feel sort of satisfied? U fulfilled?

fulfilling? Can it make you feel um um can it make you feel sort of satisfied? U fulfilled?

Can success be fulfilling if it comes at the cost of personal joy or authenticity? Authenticity meaning that sense that you've really lived a proper

authenticity? Authenticity meaning that sense that you've really lived a proper real life where you've really followed your heart right I mean this is a question that we all have to deal with right of what shall I do with my life should I follow

my heart and do what I really want to do or should I uh sacrifice those things in order to focus on my career and get success and probably earn money and make my parents happy or make other people happy in my life. Which one is it? And

do you think we all have a door in the wall in our lives? Some moment or choice we wish we'd made or an alternative life that we wished we could be living?

Number nine. Number nine. What would have happened if Wallace had chosen to revisit the garden earlier? Imagine if he, for example, had chosen

to be late for school that day and gone into the garden anyway. You know, if he'd prioritized the garden and gone in, what would have happened? Would it have lived up to the memory? How would it have affected his life? What would have

happened to him in his normal life? What would his father have said or done?

Would it have been a good idea to go in the garden? Have you ever had here's here's a final question number 10. Have you ever had a dream that felt so real and was so wonderful that you were desperate to return to it somehow? And I'm talking

about a dream you had when you were asleep. Have you ever woken up from a dream and been desperate to go back to sleep in order to return to that dream?

Hm. Okay. So, now I'm going to do some rambling about the story's meaning and interpretations. And uh you could maybe compare your ideas to the things I'm

interpretations. And uh you could maybe compare your ideas to the things I'm saying now or at least just listen to me kind of speculating about what it all means. And also um I'm going to just ramble about sort of some of the various

means. And also um I'm going to just ramble about sort of some of the various things that come into my mind or the the things that this story makes me feel.

So, I'm now going to ramble about all of this and discuss the meaning of the story, what the garden represents, and other thoughts. I would love to know what you think about all of this, too. So, feel free to write something in the comments section and practice your English a little bit in the process. So,

for me, this story captures a certain mysterious feeling. I wonder if you know what I mean. I love this story because although it's definitely sad, there is something wonderful in it, too. because it somehow captures a very specific

feeling which I've definitely experienced. I mean, I've never found a magical garden, but there's a certain feeling which I have experienced, but which is very hard for me to put my finger on. Maybe you know what I'm

talking about. I hope so. Let me attempt to explain myself. So this feeling is

talking about. I hope so. Let me attempt to explain myself. So this feeling is something like the sense that at some point in your past you might have experienced something absolutely amazing and delightful but you can't quite

remember if it was a dream or real and yet you're desperate to go back there and revisit it.

So that is that feeling of longing that Wallace describes. He feels a longing, a sense of longing, really wanting to to to to go back in this case. Uh a feeling of longing for some perfect moment in the past which might not have even been

real. Have you ever felt like that? I know that is quite a specific feeling,

real. Have you ever felt like that? I know that is quite a specific feeling, but um it's a bit like the opposite of another feeling which I think is more common, which is this.

Okay. So, here's this is the just to help explain what I mean. Here's another

feeling which I think is similar but almost the opposite. So, have you ever felt this, right? When you're having a horrible nightmare, so a dream at night, you're asleep, you're having a really bad dream. So, you're having a horrible

nightmare. The nightmare feels completely real and you have no idea you're in a dream

nightmare. The nightmare feels completely real and you have no idea you're in a dream and and then suddenly you wake up. Now in the dream you were living a horrible,

terrible experience. Perhaps you were lost. You lost your children. Everyone

terrible experience. Perhaps you were lost. You lost your children. Everyone

was in danger. Something awful had happened. You know the sorts of thing like, yeah, you you you're outside. You're desperate to get back to a situation. You know that something terrible is going on, but there's

situation. You know that something terrible is going on, but there's nothing you can do about it. You're stuck outside in the street. You can't

even move your arms and legs properly. You can't speak. You know those sorts of horrible nightmares. And then you wake up and it takes a minute and it takes a

horrible nightmares. And then you wake up and it takes a minute and it takes a minute for you to slowly realize that it was just a dream. But the feeling sinks

in slowly where you're in bed, you wake up you Oh, that was just a dream. Was it? Wait.

Oh, it was just a nightmare. Yeah, it was just a dream. None of that.

None of that was real. But are you sure? Yes, you're in bed. The kids are fine.

The awful thing didn't happen, but it felt so real. Was that really just a nightmare? The feeling stays with you sometimes for hours. You can still have

nightmare? The feeling stays with you sometimes for hours. You can still have that sense of that sense that that world in the dream still has a sense that it

was still real even hours later. In the same way, maybe it's possible to have the reverse experience. You wake up from a truly wonderful dream where everything

felt just right and so real and you can't wait to dive straight back into that dream and revisit that perfect situation again. So, it has happened to me. Has it happened to you? Either of those things. Either waking from a

me. Has it happened to you? Either of those things. Either waking from a horrible nightmare and slowly being slowly feeling relieved that it wasn't real, but not being sure and then realizing, "Yeah, god, it was just a

dream." So either the nightmare or the other side where you have a fantastic dream. You wake up and

dream." So either the nightmare or the other side where you have a fantastic dream. You wake up and you want to go back. Uh has it happened to you? You wake from the dream and desperately want to fall asleep again to go back into that thing you were

experiencing. The way HG Wells describes Wallace's desire to return to his garden

experiencing. The way HG Wells describes Wallace's desire to return to his garden feels like that to me. Or here is perhaps another example of the kind of feeling which I think this story illustrates. It's when you have a

distant memory of a wonderful thing that happened to you. Now, this is not a dream you've just woken up from, but maybe just have this vague memory of something that maybe once happened to you. Falling in love perhaps, or being

in a place where everyone loved you, but you can't quite remember if it was real or not. It's more of a sort of an emotional memory rather than a specific memory. So

or not. It's more of a sort of an emotional memory rather than a specific memory. So

this is not waking up from a dream but just remembering something from quite a long time ago which you realize you'd forgotten about for some reason. The

memory comes to you in a hazy moment. Perhaps when your mind is not occupied such as when you're forced to stay in bed and rest because you have flu.

you're just lying in bed all day and your mind wanders back to your your mind is free to sort of maybe remember things that you'd forgotten or you're without your phone or the internet and so you have nothing to distract you

and your mind is free to wander and perhaps remember things that you thought you'd forgotten or that you had suppressed for some reason and you think, "Wait, didn't I didn't I fall in love that time many years ago? Was that

real? What happened to that girl? Which city was that? Was that just one night?

What happened to that life I had? Maybe this is maybe this just happens when you're getting old. I don't know. Uh my point is I think this story

somehow captures weird nostalgic feelings. Feelings of the loss of something wonderful. Um

but you can't even be sure it was real. The story uses the medium of fantasy to express a certain emotion. So, I'm still trying to put my finger on this feeling on the feeling this story evokes. By the way, I'm still trying to put my finger

on it. Maybe it's maybe it's something else. Maybe it's the loss of innocence

on it. Maybe it's maybe it's something else. Maybe it's the loss of innocence of childhood, which is obviously something we all experience.

um you know depending on your childhood I suppose but most people I think probably have a sort of innocent childhood which is especially you know

if you have a stable family life you probably have that feeling of a certain uh you know unconditional love stability innocence and obviously unfortunately we

lose that you know as we enter the real world but that memory of it the memory is still there you So maybe it's the loss of innocence of childhood. You remember it as a distant feeling, a kind of perfect belonging, an innocent happy time. You vaguely

remember how it felt, but it also feels like it could be something you imagined.

I suppose we all experience that distant memories from childhood which are locked away somewhere, but the traces of it come back to you in distorted ways. I

personally have a few memories like that buried deep inside me. One of my earliest memories is of being on the floor of my parents' bedroom as a little child or maybe lying on the bed. And I seem to remember seeing the reflections

of headlights from cars crossing the ceiling like bars of light crossing the ceiling as the par as the cars passed outside in the street with their headlights on. The light shone through a gap in the curtains briefly, sending

headlights on. The light shone through a gap in the curtains briefly, sending these bars of light across the ceiling. It's a very vivid memory. It's a very happy, cozy feeling.

Cars going past, bars of light across the ceiling. I'm in a lovely cozy place inside this room. If I think really hard, I can almost go back to that moment and feel the space of the room around me and the fact that someone was with me,

but it's very hazy and might never have happened. Another one, when I was about nine years old, I remember standing on a window ledge. So, I climbed out of a window on the ground floor and I was looking at a short wall, a short brick

wall in the garden, which was maybe 2 meters away from this window ledge that I was standing on, right? standing on this ledge looking at a wall a couple of meters away and

right? standing on this ledge looking at a wall a couple of meters away and wondering if I could jump from the ledge to the wall but the distance was always slightly too far and that feeling has this is strange but that feeling has

stayed with me my entire life as if it is significant somehow. Can I make this leap? Can I achieve this thing? Is it just beyond my reach or am I actually

leap? Can I achieve this thing? Is it just beyond my reach or am I actually capable of doing it? Could I really jump onto that wall? I remember perpetually being stuck on that ledge, looking down at this wall, just on the verge of

jumping, stuck between self-belief and doubt. I don't even know if it ever happened, if it's just something I've imagined. Maybe I'm just a Maybe this just proves I'm a simulant and those memories which were those are just

memories which were implanted in my brain to make me believe I am actually a human. I mean, I'm saying that because this reminds me of moments in the film

human. I mean, I'm saying that because this reminds me of moments in the film Bladeunner where the main character, Decard is sitting one evening in his apartment.

He's been drinking whiskey and he's sitting there at the piano and these memories come back to him. It's like a me he sees a a horse running through a forest and he he's he's sort of astounded by this memory. What what does it

represent? How does he have a memory of this horse? Is this real or is this a

represent? How does he have a memory of this horse? Is this real or is this a dream? And the way I understand it in the film, that vision actually is

dream? And the way I understand it in the film, that vision actually is supposed to be one of the implanted memories because he's Yeah, spoiler

alert. I think he's uh not actually human, that he's a simulant. That's

alert. I think he's uh not actually human, that he's a simulant. That's

meant to prove that he's a simulant and his memories have been implanted synthetically. I don't know. So maybe I'm just a simulant and in fact all of

synthetically. I don't know. So maybe I'm just a simulant and in fact all of reality is a simulation. And in the real world, I'm just or maybe I'm just lying in a plasma filled pod while AI robots feed on my bioelectric energy and every

memory I think I have is just a a fake memory implanted by the my AI overlords.

But hopefully not. But um seriously though, I do have weird distant memories like that and I wonder if you have too. It feels a bit mad saying these things like maybe I'm the only person on Earth to know what I'm talking about now. But

I suspect that everyone feels that way sometimes. But certainly this is what that this story captures for me. A certain feeling and this is why I think it's great. What do you think? Am I making any sense? I'll get more specific

it's great. What do you think? Am I making any sense? I'll get more specific in my story analysis in a moment. I have um other things to discuss and ramble about in relation to this story. So I hope you're ready to listen to me for a

little while more before I get into the language analysis bit where I'm going to look at some vocab and grammar from this story. So here are some more notes with my own thoughts and also a few comments that I found uh on litcharts.com and also wikipedia.org.

So let me let me give my answer to some of the questions I posed earlier. Uh my

answers they were something like this. So was the garden real, imagined or symbolic? What does the door represent? Uh what happened at the end when he fell

symbolic? What does the door represent? Uh what happened at the end when he fell through the door? So obviously this is a work of fiction and so we can never know the real truth because it's it's not real. It's a madeup story. Uh there

isn't one single correct answer. We can only speculate about it, discuss what the author was trying to say, or at least what it all means to you. Uh this

story is a work of fiction, but let me speculate about it anyway. Is Wallace's

garden real? Surely the garden in Wallace's story is not real. It can't be real because it defies all the laws of physics and things like that. magic

gardens. They don't really exist, do they? The garden is huge and even has hills in the distance, if I remember correctly. And that's not possible in

West Kensington in London. You can't have something that big um just coming off a busy street. There

isn't space. But maybe miracles are real. And by miracles, I mean apparently supernatural events that we can't explain. Like for example, finding a

magic garden, you know. Yeah, finding a magic garden. I mean, who really knows?

Our reality is a strange thing. And us humans are only aware of a very small fraction of everything that is around us, right? I mean, we all assume that we

see the world as it is, but we only see a tiny little fraction of all of the information. It's just what our our five senses are able to pick up. Maybe

information. It's just what our our five senses are able to pick up. Maybe

there's a lot more going on in this world. I mean, who knows? Um, maybe

there are portals into other worlds that we are not normally aware of, but I doubt it. Um, so from a more rational point of view, it must be Wallace's

doubt it. Um, so from a more rational point of view, it must be Wallace's highly active imagination from his brilliant mind. Even at 5 years old, I

feel like a brilliant mind like his and the growing mind of a child must have the potential to just invent to just invent experiences like hallucinations

perhaps, waking daytime dreams. Maybe his mind hallucinated the whole experience as a way to escape reality. He was suffering from cruel treatment at

home like mental and physical abuse from his father who we know beat him and imposed very strict restrictions on him. That was basically abusive by today's standards. He was suffering from that. Also a lot of pressure and demanding

standards. He was suffering from that. Also a lot of pressure and demanding school work which on its own you know isn't necessarily the sort of thing that can lead to someone having a mental breakdown but combined with a lot of other things

possibly a lot of pressure and a lot of unprocessed grief over the loss of his beloved mother right these are the conditions that poor Wallace was living

in as a 5-year-old boy so perhaps in the midst of all this one day his mind invented this entire experience as a way to escape from everything, as a way to

protect itself, and as a way to experience what he really wanted and needed, which was unconditional love, which is what he found in the garden,

while he was standing alone on a street in Kensington, perhaps just staring at an ordinary door in a wall, or maybe just standing there in a little daydream. Who knows? It might have even happened in a in a split second,

daydream. Who knows? It might have even happened in a in a split second, right? You know, the way that time perceptions can change. Maybe he

right? You know, the way that time perceptions can change. Maybe he

experienced this whole thing of entering the garden and all the things that happened and in reality it was really just a split second. He may have just been standing there staring at the floor for just a moment and then when he came

back, you know, it's like the whole thing had happened in just a moment. I

don't know. Uh the power of the mind. Can the brain actually do that? This

does make me wonder what the brain can do. Um, and so while preparing this episode, I did have this thought. I thought to myself, can the brain go into a hallucination?

Right? Can the brain go into a hallucination? Inventing an entire experience as a way of protecting itself, creating a new reality in which to escape, allowing a person to heal and

survive an otherwise miserable reality. And yes, I did ask AI that question for what it's worth. I chose Google Gemini for this one because well, I get I get a bit tired of chat

GPT sometimes. If you're listening chat GPT, I'm sorry and no offense intended,

GPT sometimes. If you're listening chat GPT, I'm sorry and no offense intended, but you know, I have been seeing other chat bots. Um, but chat GPT, I don't know, it just it's it's great, but it just it just has this tone, you know,

which annoys me a little bit these days. It's just it can be a little bit too kind of keen like sure of course would you like me to prepare a PDF for you or whatever it is you know just answer my question and just don't add all that

other stuff just keep it simple just give me the basics of what I do you don't anyway it can be a bit in your face but I find that Google Gemini is a bit more chill you know anyway so I asked I asked Google Gemini that very question

the question again can the brain and go into a hallucination, inventing an entire experience as a way of protecting itself, creating a new reality in which to escape, allowing a person to heal and survive an otherwise miserable reality.

And this is what it said. It said, "Yes, the brain can create a new reality as a defense mechanism to cope with a miserable or traumatic reality. This

phenomenon is known as dissociation." Sorry, I'll say that again. This

phenomenon is known as dissociation. And in its most severe forms, it can manifest as the creation of entirely new identities or a loss of personal memory.

A state where a person's brain can quite literally construct a new reality to escape an unbearable one. Dissociation is a psychological defense mechanism where a person mentally disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or

sense of identity. It's a way for the mind to protect itself from overwhelming emotional pain. The brain essentially tunes out or checks out from a stressful

emotional pain. The brain essentially tunes out or checks out from a stressful or traumatic situation. This can happen during a single severe event like a car accident

or over a long period of chronic trauma like childhood abuse. So there you go. I suppose I was right if what Google Gemini says is worth anything. Although I although I am not

sure Wallace's specific experience is typical of dissociation because dissociation appears more to be a sort of loss of memory or a change of identity rather than a full-on mindbending hallucination involving walking through a door into a

neverending garden with two panthers that purr and let you rub their ears.

But still in the story, perhaps the door in the wall is meant to illustrate that Wallace's life is devoid of love and care, full of pressure, careerfocused,

and ultimately unhappy or discontented. The garden is his escape from all of this.

Either it is a hallucination caused by some kind of mental breakdown or somehow he really does have access to a magical power or portal in which he can find

peace in some other alternate universe. And this makes me wonder again, but this time about more supernatural possibilities rather than psychological ones. Is it possible that a person can have access to a supernatural power

ones. Is it possible that a person can have access to a supernatural power which allows them to travel through portals and into alternative universes defying the laws of physics as we know them and entering new dimensions in

which life is naturally more peaceful, loving, rewarding, and fulfilling and where all your dreams come true. A kind of heaven, let's call it. Is that

possible? So I asked Google Gemini that question as well because why not? So I

asked it, is it possible that a person can have access to a sort of supernatural power which allows them to travel through portals and into alternative universes defying the laws of physics as we know them and entering new dimensions in which life is naturally more fulfilling, peaceful,

loving, rewarding, and fulfilling. I said that twice. And where all your dreams come true, a kind of heaven, let's call it, is that possible? and Gem

and Google Gemini said, "No, it's not possible for a person to access a sort of supernatural power that allows them to travel through portals into an alternative utopian universe, as this would violate the fundamental laws of

physics as we currently understand them. While such concepts are popular in science fiction and fantasy, they fall outside the realm of what is scientifically plausible."

Okay, so that's that then. But again, this is just a story and of course the rules are different. Which leads me to talk about science plus fantasy as a

vehicle to explore complex philosophical and psychological themes. HG Wells was known as one of the innovators of what was a new kind of writing back when this

story was originally written. He was known as an innovator or he's at least came to be known um as one of the innovators of this new kind of writing called

science fiction. Although Wells at the time preferred to use a different term.

science fiction. Although Wells at the time preferred to use a different term.

He called it scientific romance. And this but this kind of writing took scientific ideas and ran with them creating adventure stories that blended the extraordinary possibilities of a world opened up by the scientific

worldview and a sort of romantic sense of emotional expression and even fantasy all as a way to express deeper truths about the human experience which really is what science fiction the best science fiction is about. It takes this these

sort of fantastical ideas and essentially uses them as a way to explore the human experience and talk about what it really means to be human.

Like Bladeunner for example, it's all about are these PE how do you know if you are a real human or whether you are a simulated human with implanted

memories and if a simulated human a replicant an an artificial intelligence has all of the same if it looks like a human acts like a human everything's

like a human then then is it actually human? Where's the dividing line?

So this this story is a great example of that. science fiction. Basically, it's a mix of the magical and the scientific, and you can choose how you interpret it.

Can Wallace's experience be explained by science as a psychological disassociation, or is it something is something more magical happening? I

think I prefer not to choose to be honest, but to to leave it open, which I find gives me a sense of wonder, leaves me with a sense of wonder. If I don't choose either the rational or the the sort of supernatural explanations, I'll

just kind of leave it open. Also, it's it is it's just a madeup story, isn't it? So, it doesn't really matter. Anyway, what does Wallace's story mean?

it? So, it doesn't really matter. Anyway, what does Wallace's story mean?

And it it's it's about loss of innocence, unconditional love, and the choices we make in life. So that first time Wallace encounters the door, according to his memory, he is able to step through it and experience an

alternative childhood of love, play, time, freedom, and collaboration different from his father's rules and expectations of success. It's

interesting to note that in the garden, Wallace experiences a kind of unconditional love that is sadly missing in his real life. The presence of several lovely female characters suggests to me that the garden

represents maternal love that he misses so much. When he is even just a bit older in his school days, his obligations and aspirations prevent him from taking the alternative path to the garden of peace and contentment.

Instead, he chooses to ignore the door in favor of getting to school on time, the demands of his academic life, and the pressures of competing with his classmates. This seems to suggest that these external pressures, academic

classmates. This seems to suggest that these external pressures, academic success, competition, blah blah blah, they all seem to be in contrast with what the garden represents, which is love friendship play mystery joy

peace, contentment. So, this could even be a criticism of the society that

peace, contentment. So, this could even be a criticism of the society that Wallace and we now live in. So, maybe HG Wells is criticizing our society and its values.

um that our society prioritizes things which don't lead to happiness and it traps us in misery. Think of soul destroying jobs, being in the rat race,

having to live up to the expectations of your parents and society at large.

The value of status, money, career. Maybe we've got it all wrong and there are more spiritual, ethereal, and emotional paths we should be taking. The

door appears to Wallace multiple times during important career moments in his life, offering him a choice between the path he's on and another path which leads him away from material success, but into happiness and contentment,

but ultimately death as well, which is a bit a bit weird, but it seems that Wallace is not able to leave his path until the end of the story. For me, HG Wells uses

this image of the door in the garden as a way of showing us Wallace's strong feelings of loss, longing, and sadness, of being unable to access love, and beauty because of the conditions of his life. I think it's a very powerful way

of illustrating how our emotions are tied to things like memories, places, and unexplainable experiences that we have. Wallace knows when the door appears to him uh that it is unlocked and that the people in the garden are

waiting for him and glad to see him. The possibility of that alternative life haunts him throughout his his scholastic and political career, but he never chooses to take the final step and open the door that would cut him off from his

career. By not taking that risk, he loses something. But maybe the door and

career. By not taking that risk, he loses something. But maybe the door and garden are not real. And if he chose to ignore his responsibilities and step inside again, he would find nothing and it would be a waste of time. We can

never know. Wallace uh feels drawn to the door. But he also is drawn by responsibility, expectations and his own ambition. So in this way the door also

comes to symbolize the incompatibility of life in this world. A life of striving for success on one hand and the life of perfect contentment beyond the door on the other hand. The two things can't exist at the same time in the same

life. One or the other may be possible, the story seems to say, but no one can

life. One or the other may be possible, the story seems to say, but no one can have both at once. So, what about you? Can you relate to that?

Um, have you ever felt a sense that you have serious obligations to your career, studies or expectations from parents or other figures, but what would really make you happy is a completely different life? Have you ever had to balance these

things in your life, serious responsibilities versus what your heart really wants to do? And do you doubt that choosing to do those things that your heart really wants would be a wise move? That's the thing. You might think

here's the thing. Here are the things that I should do for my career. All the

serious stuff. Here's the stuff the life I would love to lead, but I can't do that because it would be it it it would be disastrous, right? Is it realistic to drop out and

just do whatever you want? Isn't it too risky? How would you get money? How

would you manage everything? I mean, maybe it would be foolish to just drop out and do whatever pleases you. How would you earn money? How would you keep afloat in society? How would you keep other people around you happy? For

example, if you're an artist, if you just decide just to follow your muse and just to follow your art, uh how would you actually survive? Can we just walk away from the pressures and responsibilities in our lives? So going back to the story, when he

reaches middle age, Wallace feels that he's always made the wrong choice and taken the wrong path in his life. He feels that he should have gone through the door when he had the chance. But what happens at the end? Well, at the

end of the story, we learn that he died. Of course, how? As I've said, there was a construction site where a train line was being extended. There was a large hole blocked from the streets, blah blah blah. He went through the door, fell to

his death. Now, the story never answers the ultimate question of what really

his death. Now, the story never answers the ultimate question of what really happened. Did Wallace really make a mistake and think the door was a was his

happened. Did Wallace really make a mistake and think the door was a was his special green door? Was this a tragic accident? Or did Wallace really see the green door there? And when he went through, he finally got back to the

garden where he could be at peace. Or did the door betray him in the end? Did

it trick him and lead him to his death when he expected it to bring him back to heaven? Was going through the door a mistake? By not giving us that answer, the story

heaven? Was going through the door a mistake? By not giving us that answer, the story turns the door into a symbol for the unknowability of whether some kind of

heaven exists. An acknowledgment that the only way to learn that answer is to

heaven exists. An acknowledgment that the only way to learn that answer is to die. or at least the only way to know whether you um are making the right

die. or at least the only way to know whether you um are making the right choices in your life. We can never know. We can never know the alternative.

So, what do you think? Did Wallace get back to the garden or not? I'm

personally I'm inclined to believe that yes, he did because why not give it a happy ending of sorts? But here are some other interpretations and responses to the story which I took from the story's Wikipedia page. This is what other

people have said about it. So, what did the critics say? Um, and yes, this episode is is becoming pretty damn long, and I haven't even got into the vocab stuff, but um I just I have to say I was just inspired by the story, and I I guess part of the reason

I chose to tell this story was because it it it just uh I don't know, it just grabbed my imagination. And so I just wanted to talk about all those things, but I will get on to the vocab in a moment. Uh let me have some more water. Then I'll talk

about what the critics said, some quotes from other people who talked about this work. And then we'll get into some of the vocab, which I will continue uh in episodes of LEP

work. And then we'll get into some of the vocab, which I will continue uh in episodes of LEP premium.luke.co.uk/premium if you're interested. Let me have some water now. Cheers.

premium.luke.co.uk/premium if you're interested. Let me have some water now. Cheers.

Right. You might have heard uh an advert there while I was drinking. Um an advert for water maybe. I don't know. I don't know what they advertised in that in that little spot there.

Um, by the way, if you want to go ad free, if you don't want to get any more ads on your episodes, the audio episodes, if you don't want to hear ads there, maybe you didn't hear an ad there, which and in which case, fine. But if you don't

want to hear the ads, then you know, you becoming a premium subscriber means you get all of the the free episodes with the advertising removed as well, right?

So, that's how you go ad free. Just in just in case you were wondering, you don't just get the premium episodes, you also get you get ad free content, too.

Um anyway, what did the critics say about this story? So, the door in the wall was acclaimed from the first, meaning it was uh given high praise.

People said very, it was given good strong reviews. It was acclaimed. People

said it was brilliant. um writing in Luton um some sort of publication, a newspaper, maybe a magazine, literary supplement, who knows? Uh writing in

that in 1911, Henry Durand Dav, a French guy, said that it was Wells at his best. Uh Jeffrey West that is a biographer of HG Wells noted in 1926

his best. Uh Jeffrey West that is a biographer of HG Wells noted in 1926 that it was often considered Wells best short story. And in 1930 he added his

own judgment that it was one of the works which will carry his name even beyond our own century into that literary immortality he seems so anxious to avoid.

Interesting that HG Wells didn't want to be immortalized. I think he was more interested in ultimately improving the society he was living in at the time. And yet the story did immortalize him because here we are now, at least here I am. And I'm not the

only one because it's considered now to be, you know, a a great story still.

People are still talking about it. Uh critics in the late 20th century and the 21st century have likewise evaluated it as one of Wells's finest short works.

Adam Roberts has written this. He wrote, "The tone of this piece is exquisitely handled, and it remains one of the most affecting portraits of that palpable but

inde indefinable sense of loss entailed by growing up. the way the petty business of living repeatedly gets in the way of recovering that childhood

numinosity. By the way, numinosity that means a sense of awe, amazement,

numinosity. By the way, numinosity that means a sense of awe, amazement, fascination, even terror experienced in childhood, those raw emotions of really

living and experiencing things. Um, numinosity. Uh so the fact that normal life sort of uh takes you away from the those innocent feelings of childhood and

although he continues although it is a sad story it is indeed one of the saddest I know it's not a depressing story because Wells understands that

life is the myriad getings in the way that define our days and the desire to get past that is actually the desire to stop living. Whoa. Okay. So, he's saying that Wells

understands that life is the myriad, meaning the the the the various the many getings in the way, meaning the the many things that sort of get in the way, right, that define our days. The stuff like having to find your keys, having to

turn on the turn on the alarm when you leave the apartment, remembering to go back, you know, oh, I forgot my phone. You have to go back and get your phone.

remembering you've got to cancel that Amazon order that you made and then you've got to uh you know get to work on time and deal with the report that you're supposed to be writing and deal with your boss and do this that and the

other and then you've got to uh pay this bill and deal with all these things.

These are all things that get in the way. These are the many gettingings in the way that define our days. And the desire to get past all of that is

actually the desire to stop living. That seems very profound. Um, it has it has been seen as the it has been seen the story has been seen as a nostalgic look back to the simplicity,

continuity and easier pace of the Victorian age or more personally to idilic scenes in Wells's childhood. So, some people have said that the the the story represents something about a nostalgia for a more simple time.

Um, John R. Reed took from the story the lesson that life is like a book never reaching an ordered state until its composition has been finished. That's in

that's an interesting and profound observation as well. Life is like a book meaning like the way a book is written which again which makes me think back to an episode I did a while ago with Ian Moore who writes books and uh he writes

mystery stories, murder mysteries and he was talking about how the process is quite messy. You have a general idea, you write the story, then you go back

quite messy. You have a general idea, you write the story, then you go back and you change this, that, and the other, and you it's all a bit of a mess until it's finished. And when it's finished, then it's set. And in a

similar way, your life is like that. It's sort of messy. It's not it's it's out of order.

None of it's composed until the moment that a person dies and then their life gets set, right? I mean, we've seen this from famous people, right? Someone like David Bowie, for example.

right? I mean, we've seen this from famous people, right? Someone like David Bowie, for example.

When he died, it's like his life became a body of work. It became a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everything suddenly went into a certain

kind of order. We saw it as a whole finished piece. Life is a bit like that. It's not really

doesn't take form until it's done. We're getting very profound in this episode. Alfred Burello believed the story showed that our very aspirations

episode. Alfred Burello believed the story showed that our very aspirations can be the sources of self-d delusion and ultimately doom if man understands

them only as the means whereby he might escape from his duties to himself and to his race. what he believed it showed that our aspirations can be the sources

his race. what he believed it showed that our aspirations can be the sources of self-d delusion and ultimately doom if man understands them only as the means whereby he might escape from his duties to himself and to his race. Okay,

so basically this means Alfred Burello thought the story showed that a person's dreams and goals for example the desire to return to the garden could be harmful

and lead to their downfall. Right? This happens if they use their aspirations, in this case the desire to go back to the garden as a way to avoid

their personal responsibilities and duties to humanity. So the desire to leave reality can be harmful for you and for society. I I guess I think that's what that means.

that if Wallace had gone to the garden, he wouldn't he would have deprived society of this important work that he did to benefit society as a as a member of the government.

Okay. Uh Warren W. Warren Wagar wrote that Wells was advising his readers not to give away. Sorry, W. Warren Wagar wrote that Wells was advising his readers not

give away. Sorry, W. Warren Wagar wrote that Wells was advising his readers not to give way like Wallace to the seductions of unreason um you got to watch out for

uh you got to keep it real basically keep it real that Wallace uh at at the end of his life he didn't keep it real he kind of lost his mind he

was seduced by the s the madness of this this this idea of this garden it seduced him and caused him ultimately to fall to his death because he he it you know it

it misled him. It led him to believe that there was something behind this door when in fact it was something else. Right? Let's continue. So let let me continue my notes. The garden can be taken as a metaphor for the imagination

which dramatizes for us the choice between the aesthetic and the practical sides of life. especially perhaps the choice between imaginative writing and political action faced by Wells himself. So this is this is an interesting

insight into Wells's life and career. The idea that the garden um the choice between the aesthetic and the practical sides of life and this is what I was talking about before like just doing whatever you want. That's the

uh aesthetic side and the practical side of like having to do certain things just because that's how you make money and you know pay for your food and your rent

and things like that. Um and it perhaps it shows us something about uh the life of Wells that he had to choose between writing imaginative fiction and writing

and and and taking political action in his life. So this is an interesting insight into Wells's life and career later in his life. Um he moved towards political action and away from writing fiction. So perhaps there was a period

in which he couldn't decide which path to take. Focus on solving society's problems in the real world or escaping into a world of fantasy and imagination

through his work. But perhaps as Sabine Coell Foner has written, Wells makes the meaning of the supernatural garden motif a mystery to which there can be no final

answer. Was it a daydream, a lie, a sign of the boy's vivid imagination, or a

answer. Was it a daydream, a lie, a sign of the boy's vivid imagination, or a token of a hidden dimension accessible only to a visionary like Wallace? We don't know.

That's the that's the central mystery that kind of keeps it interesting. Uh,

by the way, the original text of this story is wonderful. Remember, I read out a kind of adapted modernized uh version, but the original text is wonderful. You can you can get it in a lot of the collections of HG Wells short

wonderful. You can you can get it in a lot of the collections of HG Wells short stories. The one I've got here is HG Wells, The Country of the Blind, and

stories. The one I've got here is HG Wells, The Country of the Blind, and Other Selected Stories by Penguin Classics, which has loads of really good stories, including this one. Um, and it could be an interesting exercise for you

to read the story to compare my new version with the original text. So, you

can get yourself a copy of one of his books, which I strongly recommend, or you can find you can actually find the text of this story online if you search for it. Um,

you can find it at classicsshorts.com for example. Um, as I said before, the original story was written and published in 1906. So, now we get to the language analysis

section about an hour and what nearly two hours into this into this episode.

As I said before, I'm not going to do all of the vocab explanations now because it's going to take too long. I mean, I did once do a three and a half hour episode of of Learn English with a short story. That was Learn English with

a short story long edition. Um, but I'll go for about I don't know what 10 15 minutes now and then I'll continue the rest of the vocab review and some grammar stuff as well uh in episodes of Luke's English podcast

premium. So, language analysis, this is where we focus specifically on learning

premium. So, language analysis, this is where we focus specifically on learning English with this story. Uh so we focused on the overall meaning of the story and interpretations of its meaning. Uh but now here is the story

again. This time broken down into parts with a summary and vocabulary review for

again. This time broken down into parts with a summary and vocabulary review for each part. So I'll start this here in this free episode. I'll finish it in leap premium. So

each part. So I'll start this here in this free episode. I'll finish it in leap premium. So

I'm going to go through the story again in sections. For each section I will deal with these questions. First of all, what happened? I'll skip through that quite quickly because I think you got the gist of the whole story. now. But

anyway, what happened and what do the highlighted words mean? So, I've

highlighted words and phrases in the text and those are the things I'm going to focus on. At the end, there's a summary of some grammar in the story, too, including things like past conditionals, narrative tenses, relative

clauses, and a lot more. So, vocabulary first. Let me now go through the story again and point out various bits of vocabulary and other language. There's

also a full vocabulary list at the end of each section. You can find it on the PDF. I'll start this here in the free episode blah blah blah. Continuing in in

PDF. I'll start this here in the free episode blah blah blah. Continuing in in I'll continue in LEP premium uh in the next series. Okay. So, part one. One

quiet evening just under 3 months ago, Lionel Wallace told me the story of the door in the wall. At the time, I believed he was telling the truth, at least as far as he believed it himself. He told it in such a sincere,

straightforward way that I couldn't help but believe him. So, in such a sincere way. This is when you're true with your feelings. You're kind of honest. If

way. This is when you're true with your feelings. You're kind of honest. If

you're if you're being sincere, it means you are being true to your feelings.

Okay? Uh if you speak sincerely, it's like you're telling the truth and and and especially about the way you feel. He told his story in a very sincere way.

Uh there was no sense that he was exaggerating or making it up for some other reason. He was just being honest and simple about it in a straightforward

other reason. He was just being honest and simple about it in a straightforward way. If something is straightforward, it means it's yes, it's it's it's simple

way. If something is straightforward, it means it's yes, it's it's it's simple and not complicated and direct. For example, if an exercise if a if if a a language exercise

uh is straightforward, it means it's it's very clear how it should be done.

Okay. If a process is straightforward, it's very clear. Um for example, how do you um how do you how do you subscribe to Luke's English podcast premium? Well,

it's very straightforward really. You just go to teacherluke.co.uk/premium UK/premium

and then just click on leap premium and just uh choose the choose the the the the version you'd like to subscribe to. Create an account on Supercast. Add some details.

Click subscribe and Bob's your uncle. That's it. It's very straightforward.

So Wallace told his story in a very straightforward way. Just very clear, direct, simple. Um, so he told it in such a sincere straightforward way that

direct, simple. Um, so he told it in such a sincere straightforward way that I couldn't help but believe him. So if you can't help but do something, it means that you you you sort of you just have to do that because you that you

feel like there's no other way that you can do it, right? So almost like you feel no choice but to do it. Um, another example, uh, he asked me so politely

that I couldn't help but say yes. or my my my son wanted uh a toy from the shop and he asked me so nicely and so politely and he'd been so good that day that I

couldn't help but say yes. Meaning I felt like I didn't have any other option. I just couldn't say no. I couldn't do anything else except this.

option. I just couldn't say no. I couldn't do anything else except this.

So I couldn't help but say yes to him. In this case, uh, Wallace told the story so sincerely that Redmond couldn't help but believe him. He just felt like he

had no choice but to believe him. He couldn't not believe him. Um, without

his slow, serious voice, without the dim lighting and the calm atmosphere that had surrounded us the night before. So, the word I'm looking at here is dim. Dim

lighting. So, the opposite of dim. What's the opposite of dim? It's bright.

Okay? So, dim and bright in this case, dim lighting. So, what does that tell you about the place where they had dinner? It sounds like it was quite a nice restaurant, quite a up market restaurant, the sort of restaurant that

has that's not brightly lit, that's quite dark, that's dim. Um, they had an elegant dinner with wine glasses, cozy comfort. So, it's probably some nice dark restaurant uh with

candles maybe on the table and good quality place and low lighting or dim lighting. Um I'm skipping through. He was trying to be mysterious, I thought,

lighting. Um I'm skipping through. He was trying to be mysterious, I thought, and he did it really well, but I wouldn't have expected something like

that from him of all people. If you add if you add of all people him of all people of all people emphasizes wouldn't have expected something like

that from him of all people. It's kind of like expecting it's it's a bit like emphasizing that um he's the last person you would expect that kind of behavior

from meaning being mysterious. So Wallace is not the sort of person who would just intentionally be mysterious maybe in order to appear attractive or to have a certain effect or you know to seem try to be interesting.

Wallace was a very honest sort of straightforward person really um and not the kind of person who would be fake like that. So I wouldn't that's not something I would have expected from him of all people. meaning there are plenty

of other people that I would expect that from but he's not one of them or it's a bit like saying especi I wouldn't expect that from anyone especially him so it's a way of emphasizing that um he would especially not expect this from

Wallace I wouldn't have expected that from him of all people okay so um moving on we've got others um he talks about how um he at first he thought it was not

true and that um Wallace wasn't telling the truth. But then he says, "Well, I don't think that anymore. My doubts have faded." Faded. I think you know, right?

It's um a bit like if the color of your shirt fades, the color of your jeans can fade as you wash them again and again and again. They start a kind of rich blue color, but with age, with time, and as you wash them again and again, the

color fades, right? Um so in this similar way your doubts can fade meaning get weaker uh kind of diminish get smaller get weaker get less strong my doubts

have faded my doubts have gone away I believe now as I believed when he first told me that Wallace did his best to tell me the truth about his secret uh skipping forward again a bit even the circumstances of his death which finally

put an end to all doubt don't make things any clearer to put an end to something. I mean it's quite clear I guess what that means but it's just quite a nice phrase to put an

end to something that certainly put an end to his career like a football player got a bad injury which put an end to his career or a film star uh was found

guilty of some kind of crime which meant that they couldn't get in movies anymore. nobody wanted to to to give them a role in a movie and that that put

anymore. nobody wanted to to to give them a role in a movie and that that put an end to his career. The scandal maybe the scandal put an end to her career or put an end to his career. Um the circumstances of Wallace's death put an

end to all doubt. Meaning that if there was any doubt about whether Wallace was being honest, the way he died certainly put an end to the doubt. So it stopped everyone feeling doubt. And I just wanted to remind you doubt. Uh the B is

silent. So doubt. Doubt. It made everyone stop doubting uh whether Wallace was telling the truth

silent. So doubt. Doubt. It made everyone stop doubting uh whether Wallace was telling the truth or not. It still doesn't make things clearer though. That is something you

or not. It still doesn't make things clearer though. That is something you will have to decide for yourself. So of course in this section of the story, the narrator is describing a conversation he had with Lionel Wallace. At the time,

the narrator believed that Wallace was telling the truth, but the next day, um, the narrator can't believe it was true. I don't think I need to go through the the the the events of what happened in the beginning, but just those bits of

English sincere straightforward couldn't help but do something or couldn't help doing something. He told his story in such a sincere, straightforward way that I couldn't help but believe him. Dim lighting. Oh, I

wanted to mention lighting versus lightning. Can you hear that? Lighting

and lightning. Lighting and lightning. So, lighting is how you describe all the the way that a room is lit by candles or ceiling lights or lamps on the walls.

This is lighting. You go into a restaurant and you say, "Wow, what a lovely restaurant. Beautiful lighting." That's the way that the the the room is lit.

lovely restaurant. Beautiful lighting." That's the way that the the the room is lit.

Lightning is uh weather. The electricity that comes through the sky, that's lightning.

Thunder and lightning and lighting is in a room. Okay. So, without the dim lighting and the calm atmosphere that had surrounded us the night before, for example, uh not him of all people, I wouldn't have expected something like

that that from him of all people. Mhm. even the circumstances of his death which finally put an end to to doubt. So that is to put an end to something and

just the word doubt. Okay, those things there too. Um but I think you know what this at this point I think it's time to put an end to this episode. Uh because I don't want it to go on forever. Some of you still listening are like no no please keep

going. Well, I will keep going, but I'm going to do that in leap premium. All

going. Well, I will keep going, but I'm going to do that in leap premium. All

right. So, I'm going to now have to work on a bunch of premium episodes in which I go through the rest of the vocab here, but I'll I'll go through it uh in premium episodes which will be available very soon, if not now. Okay? So check

your premium subscription over the next week or two and you will find some premium episodes that will deal with all the vocabulary that in in the rest of the story that I haven't gone through yet. I've only gone through a little bit

just part one. There are how many parts? Something like eight parts I think for me to go through each with uh bits of vocab to highlight. Some lovely natural expressions and things as you've just seen. um the sort of stuff that you know might

come up in a Cambridge use of English paper in in in CE or something like that, you know, the sort of real English that is used all the time and that you really need to know, you know, prepositional phrases, verb phrases,

verb collocations, and all that sort of stuff. That's always the the kind of language that I like to highlight and teach to you to help you notice and

learn and get to grips with. Okay. So, teacherlook.co.uk/premium. That's how you can sign up to leap premium if you want to get uh the other episodes that I'm going to do uh about this story and also all of the other premium content that I've ever done. And

there's loads there's over 250 episodes of of stuff which is all solid stuff where I'm teaching you language all the time. Uh there are stories in there too and lots of pronunciation episodes where you can practice repeating after me as

well as all sorts of other little hidden gems like there's a standup comedy show of mine in there and a few other bits and pieces. So sign up if you want to get access to all those things. It's a monthly payment. You can cancel whenever you want. So there's there are no strings attached. You can listen to the

you want. So there's there are no strings attached. You can listen to the audio episodes in a podcast app on your phone. Uh links for video versions, PDFs, the whole lot, the whole thing um is available teacherluke.co.uk/premium.

But that's the end of this episode. I would love to know your comments. I'd

love to read your comments. Uh what did you think of this story? Um

yes, plenty of questions for you to respond to that I've given you throughout the episode. Uh thank you very much for listening, watching. Um

and uh I'll speak to you next time. Okay. Unless of course I see uh a lovely green door in a mysterious white wall. If I just decide to go for a walk, have a break from podcasting and just go for a quick walk. And if I do see a lovely

green door behind a white set into a white wall, I don't know, might have a little look.

So, if you don't hear any more podcasts from me, it might mean that I'm lost in some wonderful garden somewhere. Uh, yeah. Shall I or not? I'll leave it.

I'll I'll see. I'll see how I feel if slash when I discover a weird magical door uh in a white wall.

Okay. Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. Speak to you next time. But

until then, I will now say goodbye. Bye. Bar.