"mixed blessings"

Unlike the fictional worlds we often dream about, our world is full of challenges. As human beings we are forced to endure both physical and mental hardships that, over time, begin to take a toll on our mind and body. Yet, whether it is because we are unable to withstand the consequences of such adversity or because we simply underestimate our abilities, we begin to surround ourselves with barriers. And although these barriers produce a much needed sense of security and privacy, it is necessary to “recognize that they are mixed blessings” (Jacobs 265). As shown in the divergent statements “good fences make good neighbors” (Frost) and “borders in cities usually make destructive neighbors” (Jacobs 257) we can see that the creation of boundaries between people and communities can have both positive and negative effects on those involved.

While the presence of the “old-stone savage” in Robert Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall”, may hint at the potential of barriers to provide protection and refuge from the unknown or unwanted, it also confronts the idea of barriers becoming safety nets. Just as a toddler insists on carrying around a stuffed animal or blanket, the neighbor insists on maintaining the monolithic structure that divides the two properties. Although the statement “there where it is we do not need the wall” clarifies that the barrier no longer holds any purpose besides hindering the relationship between the two men, there is a distinct connection between the neighbor and the wall that prevents either man from tearing it down. Hence, despite the efforts of nature to break down both the literal and metaphoric wall, each spring, during “mending-time”, the men find themselves, once again, rebuilding the partition. However, while it may seem ironic that the reparation of the wall, the structure that essentially divides the two parties, would play a role in bringing them closer together, this is exactly what happens. This “mending-time”, when the men “meet to walk the line and set the wall between [them] once again”, represents their determination to build a relationship and consequently provides hope that someday the wall between them will no longer exist.

Like Frost, Jane Jacobs remains focused on the negative effects of boundaries. However, while Frost’s analysis pays close attention to their social or behavioral influence, Jacobs’ concern lies more so in their physical and functional effects. Within this excerpt from The Death and Life of Great American Cities Jacobs highlights the socioeconomic status of various cities and suburbs in order to highlight the effects of certain borders on safety and crime. In fact, one of her main points stems from her analysis Central Park. By comparing certain aspects of the east-side, home to the zoo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with those of the west, she effectively illustrates how the any location, whether safe or not, can be significantly influenced its surroundings. Nevertheless, this concept is extremely relevant when looking at Loyola College. Loyola, a wealthy, Jesuit institution, located in the heart of Baltimore, one of the nation’s most troubled cities, has, until now, remained entirely detached from its surroundings. Students, typically unaware of the dangers surrounding them, take liberty in this disconnect. However, by instituting the Year of the City campaign both students and teachers are taking the steps necessary to alleviate the strains of previous barriers, creating a “seam” or “line of exchange along which [the] two areas [can be] sewn together” (Jacobs 267).

Hence while we may be inclined to look at barriers as objects meant to divide or define two entirely different regions or entities, it is by referencing the mending process that both Jane Jacobs and Robert Frost portray the positive and negative effects of barriers and create the potential for change.