Symbolism In The Glass Castle Walls By Jeannette Walls

The story of Jeannette Walls and her dysfunctional family gives insights of hope and growth. To get these points across, author, Jeannette Walls wrote her autobiography using many different literary devices to tell the story of her childhood. She used themes that were apparent her whole childhood. She used symbolism to say the things that needed to be said in a discrete way. And her similes gave her audience insight to the people around her. Devices like symbolism, similes and theme have been used in all great literature to convey information, as well as in this story in a refreshing, thought-provoking way.

Webster’s definition of symbolism is, “The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.” In The Glass Castle Walls uses symbols to

show character qualities of he family to show dysfunctionality. For example on page 57 she points out, “Dad always tells bedtime stories that are always about him.” We are meant to understand from this that Rex needed constant approval of his children and needed them to believe in him. The bedtime stories he would tell were always about him saving the day or being heroic or smart. Walls notes this to show his insecurity and instability and how he may not even believe in himself. Another symbol in the book is Jeanette’s Tinker Bell doll. The story tells of Jeannette striking a match and holding it to her doll’s face because it made her more beautiful, but eventually the doll’s face melted. Yet that opened Jeannette’s eyes to something else, she writes, “Even though her face was melted, she was still my favorite toy” (Walls 17). Tinker Bell will always have the scars from the flame, as Jeannette will have hers from a young age. This shows the reader that, inside and out, Jeannette won’t fully heal from her experiences. In addition to symbolism, Walls used similes to show qualities in her family.
Similes are figures of speech used for comparison.

There are so many similes in the book that Walls has used to show character traits or make things easier to comprehend. One she uses to describe her mother, shows the way that Rose Mary interacts and connects with people, specifically children. “Students who were considered problem kids or mentally slow started doing well. Some even followed Mom around like stray dogs” (Walls 73). This is said so we can see the truly free and accepting spirit of Rose Mary. She may not be ready to be tied down with the responsibility of raising children but she loves them anyway. Another simile used also doubles as a foil. On page 142 Jeannette comforts a boy attacked by a dog, “The dog’s teeth had not broken the skin, but his pant leg was torn and he was trembling like he had palsy.” This simile shows Jeannette’s level-headed compassion and the boy’s fear is a foil to her bravery. It ties in the theme of perseverance and bravery show throughout the novel. While similes show character, other devices are used to teach the reader a

lesson.
A theme is a particular setting or ambiance, and Walls uses themes to teach things in her biography.

One of the occurring themes is of bravery. The Walls children face adversity when moving from place to place, dealing with bullies and their father goes into an alcohol induced rage. “Brian, Maureen, Lori and I got into more fights than most kids.” Walls tells the readers on page 164. The kids had to learn to stand up for themselves in a harsh community; they had to be brave. Walls also used the theme of forgiveness to teach about the importance of forgiving those who wronged you. Her parents constantly ignored their children’s needs and mistreated them, but in the end they were forgiven for all of that and they were a regular family. “We raised our glasses. I could almost hear Dad chuckling at Mom’s comment in the way he did when he was truly enjoying something.” (Walls 288). The purpose of this comment is to wrap up the story, but it also shows forgiveness and growth. By the end of the book all was forgiven, the neglect, the stealing, the cheating and the lying, and they were family. These themes in the book are an overarching device that is a great tool to show the moral or lesson of the certain story.

Symbolism, similes and themes helped guide the reader to gather ideas and information about characters in this book about how you can amount to anything if you try hard enough. Walls shows you can come from any background and still make a name and a life for yourself. Jeannette

Walls wrote with literary devices that helped her audience better understand her life. And if the reader deeply understood the book, they should walk away from the book with a pensive and reflective attitude.