Analysis of 'Next Door': Paul's transition to adulthood

The story Next door is about the boy Paul, he is eight years old, and lives through a traumatic experience, scarring him for life, and initiating him into the adult world. He starts out as a child, growing to know more about adulthood. In the beginning of the story, we meet his parents, an overprotective mother - who sees Paul as a baby, and her little boy. Whereas his father sees him as a young man, and old enough to stay home alone at night.

Paul is shown to be childish, through the way he plans to spend his night. He says he’s going to play with his microscope, and not watch television, and “experiment” on channels, that he isn’t allowed to watch, when his parents are at home.

Another example could be Paul thinking that calling up the radio will just “save everything”. And in some ways he does save things for Mr. and Mrs. Harger - seeing Mrs. Harger returns to the home, and embraces her husband. However Paul doesn’t know what a mistress is, and that Mr. Harger has one, him not knowing about the adult world, and cheating, furthermore he doesn’t know anything else, besides his happy and functioning family. And the author also suggests that Paul is very childish, when he lies down in his bed and cries.