The Wall is a collection of short stories by Sartre, first published in French in 1939. The title story is set during the Spanish Civil War and follows prisoners awaiting a decision about their fate. Other stories look at obsession, family life, desire and self-deception in everyday settings. Each is a close study of a person facing a situation that cannot be avoided, and each reflects the themes of freedom and bad faith in Sartre's thought. The collection is a good first step into his fiction.