Quote 1: "I didn’t have the answers to those questions, but what I did know was that I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt in fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes” (Walls 34). In this part of the book Jeannette was thinking about how the hotel she was staying in had just caught on fire. She wondered if all fires were related and didn’t know the answer however saying that she knew she lived in a world that could catch fire at any second was probably foreshadowing the wild events to come later in her story. It also showed how unstable the Walls family was and uncertain of their future. Quote 2: "'Oh Yeah?' I said. 'How about Hitler? What was his redeeming quality?' 'Hitler loved dogs,' Mom said without hesitation” (Walls 144). Jeannette …show more content…
was angry at her grandmother so her mother tried to convince her that everyone had good qualities even Hitler. The Walls’ mother was always trying to be as positive as possible even in the hardest situations she would continue to look for the bright side. Jeannette’s mother wanted her to always be optimistic, being a very poor family, and that is why she was tying to instill this quality in her. Quote 3: "Mom was painting a picture of a women drowning in a stormy lake. When she was finished, she sat for a long time in silence, staring at the picture” (Walls 195). Jeannette was asking her mother to get a job so the family could have money for things they needed and their mother painted this. I believe that she was painting how she felt, she felt like a drowning women. She was drowning in responsibilities and bills that she couldn’t live up to. She cared about her children but it was hard for her to show her care. Quote 4: "If you don’t want to sink, you better figure out how to swim” (Walls 66). Rex was telling his daughter, Jeannette, that she needed to be independent. This was his own style of teaching his kids how to do things and how to be tough. He wanted his kids to be prepared for the realities of life because he thought that theres was going to be rough like his was. He was using this as a metaphor for anything that Jeannette had to figure out how to do in the rest of her life. Quote 5: "Mom frowned at me. 'You'd be destroying what makes it special' she said, 'It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty’” (Walls 38). Jeannette wants to make the Joshua tree up right and her Mom thinks that that is a bad idea. She likes how the Joshua tree isn’t upright because she was trying to teach her children a lesson. She wanted them to know that it is ok to be different. She likes how the tree is unique and separates its self from the other trees like that. Quote 6: “'We’re not poor’” (Walls 121). Jeannette and her family were on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and their car broke down. A woman saw them and took them home but she kept saying the word poor and Jeannette didn’t want her to be put in the category with all other poor people because she thought that her family was different. She was also trying to stand up for her family. Since she was the only one out of all the children to say anything it shows that she cares for her family too. Quote 7: Mom pointed her chopsticks at me. "'You see?' she said. 'Right there. That's exactly what I'm saying. You're way too easily embarrassed. Your father and I are who we are. Accept it.' 'And what am I supposed to tell people about my parents?' 'Just tell the truth,' Mom said. 'That's simple enough’” (Walls 5). Jeannette was having lunch with her Mom one day when she saw her on the street picking through trash.
Her Mom was ashamed of her for acting like this but Jeannette really wanted her Mom to change her ways and stop being homeless. She really loved her mother and wanted her to have a good life. Quote 8: "Situations like these, I realized, were what turned people into hypocrites” (Walls 144). Jeannette was angry at her grandmother for not accepting her having a black friend. She wanted her parents support to justify that all people are the same however her parents really needed a place to stay and would rather not back up their daughter than challenge Erma in fear of being kicked out. Jeannette realized how people become hypocrites and having to be forced to go against their own beliefs. Quote 9: “‘Things usually work out in the end.’ ‘What if they don’t?’ ‘That just means yo haven’t come to the end yet’” (Walls 259). This is an example of Jeannette’s parents trying to keep their children as optimistic as possible.They knew that their life would be rough and tough based on what they had gone through however if they always kept the positive mindset it would make things a lot easier for
them. Quote 10: ‘“Life is a drama of tragedy and comedy. You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more’” (Walls 129). Jeannette’s mother was always trying to be an optimistic and positive person for her children to look up to. She wanted them to be like her, and have the same attitudes towards life. Life was hard for them and she knew that if they went living their lives with this in mind they would be a lot more successful in everything that they did and have a generally happier life.
Her family stayed three years at the camp. Jeanne did not enjoy living in these camps. The memories of the past still haunted her as she grew older. “Writing it has been a way of coming to terms with the impact these years have had on my entire life” (pg
Ultimately, Jeanette made the decision of ending her marriage and divorce her husband, thus seeking a place to live by herself. All she ever desired was an impartial life and some justice who would recompense her horrifying childhood lived with her paternities. She became a tremendously famous writer, Jeanette finally discovered what peace was, by basically enforcing self-justice.
The archetype of fire is used to represent destruction, while Jeannette embodies the qualities of a thoughtful hero. Additionally, Jeannette's goal of reaching New York serves as a quest throughout the memoir. Despite facing numerous challenges such as being bullied and enduring a difficult childhood, Jeannette perseveres and ultimately achieves her dream of becoming a writer in New York City. Through the skillful use of these archetypes, Walls effectively conveys the theme of perseverance.
The families living conditions were horrible. They lived in a very small apartment which at times had more than ten people living in it. Since LaJoe was a very friendly and considerate person, she brought many kids and adults "under her wing" and took care of them when in need. Some kids in the neighborhood even called her "mom." LaJoe did not have the heart to turn her back on anyone that appeared at her door.
...e on her part. Throughout the story, the Mother is portrayed as the dominant figure, which resembled the amount of say that the father and children had on matters. Together, the Father, James, and David strived to maintain equality by helping with the chickens and taking care of Scott; however, despite the effort that they had put in, the Mother refused to be persuaded that Scott was of any value and therefore she felt that selling him would be most beneficial. The Mother’s persona is unsympathetic as she lacks respect and a heart towards her family members. Since the Mother never showed equality, her character had unraveled into the creation of a negative atmosphere in which her family is now cemented in. For the Father, David and James, it is only now the memories of Scott that will hold their bond together.
The children of the Wall’s family met many dilemmas with fire that could have been easily prevented if they had the security of their parents. The author begins the story with a flashback to when Jeannette was a three year old toddler. The scene starts off with little Jeannette standing on a chair cooking a hot dog on the burner for herself without any parental guidance. She then leans too far over the stove and her clothes combust into flames that cause her severe burns that ne...
The mother is a selfish and stubborn woman. Raised a certain way and never falters from it. She neglects help, oppresses education and persuades people to be what she wants or she will cut them out of her life completely. Her own morals out-weight every other family member’s wants and choices. Her influence and discipline brought every member of the family’s future to serious-danger to care to her wants. She is everything a good mother isn’t and is blind with her own morals. Her stubbornness towards change and education caused the families state of desperation. The realization shown through the story is the family would be better off without a mother to anchor them down.
There are several different social issues presented in Jeannette Wall’s memoir “The Glass Castle.” These issues included neglect – medical and education,
Ever since she was a young girl. Jeannette had set high goals for herself. Since she was so advanced in school and genuinely enjoyed learning, it made sense that she would want to do big things with her life. Whether it was being a veterinarian or a geologist, her dreams extended far beyond her homes in little desert towns or Welch, West Virginia. However, because of her poverty-stricken home life, many people believed it didn’t seem likely that she would be so successful. One day, while living in Welch, Jeannette goes to the bar to drag her drunk father back home. A neighborhood man offers them a ride back to their house, and on the ride up he and Jeannette start a conversation about school. When Jeannette tells the man that she works so hard in school because of her dream careers, the man laughs saying, “for the daughter of the town drunk, you sure got big plans” (Walls 183). Immediately, Jeannette tells the man to stop the car and gets out, taking her father with her. This seems to be a defining moment in which Jeannette is first exposed to the idea that she is inferior to others. Although this man said what he did not mean to offend her, Jeannette is clearly very hurt by his comment. To the reader, it seems as if she had never thought that her family’s situation made her subordinate to those
The Walls family consists of three daughters and a son. Out of all of the kids, Rex the father favors Jeannette who is the middle child only because he felt that they both understand each other. “ I swear, honey, there are times I think you’re the only one around who still has faith in me” (P;79). This shows how their trust in each other is compared to the rest of the family and it also shows their bond, their sense
Towards the middle of the memoir, the theme is shown through the irony of Jeannette’s mother’s situation as well as Jeannette’s feelings towards
While Jeannette’s father acknowledges that he is harming his family and tries to better himself, her mother never once tries to improve. She ignores all of her and her family’s problems, often times contributing more to the problem to benefit herself, worsening the situation for her children. The mother copes in selfish ways, disregarding her family in order to make her life more enjoyable. A perfect example is when the family is sitting in the living room without any food, trying to keep their minds off of hunger, when Brian, Jeannette’s brother, sees that the mother is discretely eating a chocolate bar. The mother tries to defend herself, saying that she’s a “sugar addict, just like [their] father is an alcoholic.” (Walls 174) The mother has never showed any signs of an addiction to sugar, and she’s clearly trying to get the kids sympathy for being selfish. She has behavior that is completely destructive for her family, and she needs to learn and practice better coping
After reading the story by Jeannette Walls, there are many reasons her life was impacted due to her poverty. One of the most prominent reasons for Jeannette Walls success after being brought up extremely poor was due to the perseverance her father gave her. For example in part two chapter sixteen there is a scene where Jeanette's father teachers her a strong lesson about perseverance. “Dad kept telling me that he loved me, that he never would have let me drown, but you can’t cling to the side your whole life, that one lesson every parent needs to teach a child is “If you don’t want to sink, you better figure out how to swim”(Walls 66). In this scene Jeannette
I am hear to write about Jeannette Walls, and why she would be a great fit for this University. Jeannette is a very honest, skilled, and down to Earth human being of whom I very much enjoy. Her never give up mentality is what brings the best of her abilities. Even threw failures, Jeannette perseverance is what inspires many of her peers to strive to succeed.
Her mother, Annette, does not show much motherly affection to her either. Antoinette needs and wants her mother's love, but Annette is indifferent to her. Once, Antoinette sees her mother frown, and tries to smooth the frown out with her hand,