The Fence Symbol in Things We Left Behind

Literal Description

The fence in Things We Left Behind is the physical property line separating Sloane Walton’s whimsical Victorian house from the beige, nondescript home next door owned by Lucian Rollins. In Chapter 1, Sloane sits on her porch swing and stares at the neighboring house, noting its emptiness and the “shadows and secrets” it holds. The fence itself is never described in elaborate detail, but it functions as a tangible barrier—a line Sloane and Lucian both cross and respect at different times. When Lucian climbs the cherry tree to Sloane’s bedroom in the Chapter 11 flashback, he effectively bypasses the fence, using the tree as a secret passage. Later, in Chapter 22, Sloane runs across the driveway and through the backyard to Lucian’s deck, shattering the sliding glass door to stop his father’s attack. The fence thus marks the physical boundary between two drastically different domestic worlds.

Where the Fence Reappears

The fence is not a single object but the persistent divide between the Walton and Rollins properties. It appears in several key moments:

Chapter 1: Sloane observes the “beige siding” next door from her purple Victorian, resenting that Lucian still owns it.
Chapter 4: Lucian watches from his window as Sloane makes a snow angel in her yard. He traces her outline on the glass, separated by the fenced boundary.
Chapter 11 (flashback): Seventeen-year-old Lucian climbs the cherry tree overhanging the Walton yard to reach Sloane’s bedroom, effectively using the tree as a bridge above the fence.
Chapter 22 (flashback): Sloane sprints across the driveway and into the Rollins backyard, ignoring the property line to intervene in the attack.
Chapter 32: While Sloane is at the courthouse for Mary Louise’s case, she receives texts from Lucian about the security team—indirectly acknowledging the protective distance the fence once represented.
Epilogue: Ten years later, the families gather at Sloane’s home. Lucian holds his grandchild on the porch, and the fence no longer carries significance; the properties are now united by marriage and shared tradition.

Evolving Meaning

Initially, the fence signifies a clear separation between safety (the Walton home) and abuse (the Rollins home). Sloane’s house is full of family, laughter, and cherry blossoms; Lucian’s house is a place of violence and silence. In childhood, the fence is a boundary Lucian cannot cross without risk—his father forbids friendship with the Waltons. Over time, the fence becomes an emotional barrier Lucian himself erects. As an adult, he obsessively watches Sloane’s bedroom lights from his window (Chapter 4) but refuses to cross the property line for anything other than business. He tells himself the fence protects her from his dangerous world. Yet the event that shatters the fence’s symbolic power is Sloane’s decision to leap across it—breaking the glass door, literally and figuratively entering his home to save his mother. In the epilogue, the fence is no longer a separator; the two families merge on the same porch, and Lucian receives a cherry blossom gift from “their tree,” the tree that once grew over the fence.

Character Connections

Lucian Rollins: For Lucian, the fence represents control and self-imposed isolation. He uses the distance to maintain an emotional wall, believing he is too dangerous for Sloane. His habit of waiting until her lights go out before sleeping (Chapter 4) shows that the fence is a border he polices himself.
Sloane Walton: Sloane sees the fence as an arbitrary obstacle. She crosses it impulsively as a teenager and again as an adult. Her frustration with Lucian’s repeated use of the fence as an excuse reveals her desire for vulnerability and connection.
Simon Walton: Sloane’s father acts as a bridge over the fence. He visits Lucian in the police station, offers legal help, and sends his final text asking Lucian to “take care of my girls.” Simon represents the possibility of crossing boundaries with compassion.
Knox and Nash Morgan: The Morgan brothers, though neighbors, do not live on the same street. Their presence reinforces the theme of found family that transcends physical boundaries.

Theme Connections

Grief and Healing: The fence symbolizes the emotional distance grief creates. Sloane’s porch swing is a site of mourning; Lucian’s window is where he grieves Simon’s death. Healing occurs when they begin to share the same space.
Justice and Injustice: The fence divides the world of a corrupt police chief (who protects Lucian’s father) from a lawyer who fights for justice. Simon Walton stands on the “just” side and uses his profession to bring down the fence of systemic injustice.
Trust and Vulnerability: Sloane and Lucian’s relationship is built on a history of betrayal and trust. The fence is a physical manifestation of the trust they must rebuild—she crossing to him, he allowing her to come close.
Found Family: The Walton and Morgan families create a circle of support that eventually includes Lucian. The fence dissolves as he is adopted into this family, culminating in the epilogue’s large Christmas Eve gathering.
Redemption: Lucian’s journey from a boy beaten by his father to a grandfather holding his adopted grandchild is marked by the shifting meaning of the fence. It once separated him from safety; now it is a boundary he has transcended.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the fence reflect Lucian’s internal conflict between control and vulnerability?
The fence separates Lucian’s isolated world from Sloane’s warmth. In Chapter 4, he watches her make a snow angel but traces her shape on the glass rather than crossing the yard. He tells himself that staying behind the fence protects her, but this control also prevents him from seeking the comfort he craves. Only when Sloane crosses the fence (Chapter 22) does he begin to acknowledge his vulnerability.

2. In what ways does Sloane’s attitude toward the fence differ from Lucian’s?
Sloane views the fence as a challenge to be overcome. As a teenager, she invites Lucian into her home and later runs across the driveway to stop his father. In adulthood, she violates the “no interaction” agreement they make in Chapter 13 by pursuing him. Lucian uses the fence as a boundary; Sloane sees it as a door that should be open.

3. How does Simon Walton use the fence as a metaphor for his role as a lawyer and protector?
Simon crosses the fence legally and morally. He defends Lucian when the police arrest him, visits him in custody, and leaves a text asking Lucian to protect his daughters. Simon’s profession is about bridging gaps—between the accused and justice. The fence symbolizes the societal divides that Simon works to dismantle.

4. What does the disappearance of the fence’s symbolic weight in the epilogue signify?
By the epilogue, Lucian and Sloane are married, and the two properties are unified. The cherry tree that once grew over the fence is now their tree. The fence no longer represents a barrier because Lucian has healed from his trauma and accepted family. The physical fence may still stand, but it no longer separates—emotionally, the boundary has vanished.