The Animal in the Walls

The immediate catalyst for Jennifer’s madness is the animal in the walls, a creature which comes to symbolize the larger combination of social and economic factors which drive the Spain family to their breaking point. It is never revealed what exactly the animal is, and it seems evident by the end of Jennifer’s story that it was a collective auditory hallucination initiated by Patrick. It is never seen, only heard, and sometimes Patrick smells something musky. It taunts him by staying out of sight, making noises when he least expects it too, and eventually he becomes wholly obsessed with pursuing it. The animal is an outlet for his anxiety and pent-up energy, but a deeply unhealthy one that disturbs his wife and children to the point that they begin to share in his strange belief. Eventually the animal breaks the...