2. What is the significance of the remodeling of the hall and the changes to the black box?

But the smith had not seen it in such a light before, and he stood and looked at the Hall in wonder, forgetting his errand.

I just want to respond to this. The Hall is remade to be beautiful to Smith (and to his successor, presumably) so that he can see that beauty is possible in his world, as a thing itself as well as a reflection of Faery. The next thing Smith sees that is beautiful are the stars in the sky - something greater or removed from both Smith's 'real world' and the Faery world in the book. If he had not been blinded by tears, the next thing beautiful he saw would have been the Fay Star. I think that Alf has arranged this all beautifully so that Smith can see the possibility of beauty and joy both in and beyond his world. Lovely.

And Smith needing help to hand over the star is a similar reminder that it is actually not his to give up, I think. Because he was humble enough to ask for help, he could have the choice of the successor. If he had not asked for help he would not have been worthy. Reminds me of Diggory and Polly in The Magician's Nephew thinking that Aslan likes to be asked for help, rather than just offering it before the person realises they need it.

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"There are solid grounds for the charges that the work is Anglophilic, horrendously middle class, sectarian, and masculinist."

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