The Glass Castle, written by Jeannette Walls, is an autobiography that has been enjoyed by many. It encompasess many themes that deal with the darker sides of life. Issues such as alcoholism, abandonment, and poverty are just a few that plague the family in this book. This personal story offers an insight to the childhood of Jeannette Walls. As an outsider looking in, it is crazy to think that such a young girl went through so many traumatic events, but to her, those events were nothing out of the ordinary. Her parents were different than most. They were guilty of constantly uprooting the kids, not holding steady work, and not always providing for the needs of their children. Strangely enough, through their eyes they were doing everything right and …show more content…
society was wrong. Jeanette’s mom had a college degree, and her dad was a genius. Instead of using these advantages to get jobs and provide for their family like most Americans, their parents preferred an unpredictable life of adventure. They refused to settle down and do things the way everyone else in society does. Jeanette’s dad had a crazy dream of building a Glass Castle for the family to live in, hence the title of the book.
This gave them hope throughout their childhood that their was a purpose to their traveling and lifestyle, and that things would get better. As Jeanette got older, she realized that this Glass Castle would never really happen. At that point in her life, she realized that if the wanted a different life for herself than the one her parents gave her, she would have to take matters into her own hands. This autobiography is a classic story of rags to riches, showing how with hard work and determination, you can make the life you want. It is not about the hand you were dealt, but how you play it. There were multiple times throughout the book when she would start to get things together in the hopes of moving to New York and starting a new life for herself, but her parents would interfere or something would happen that would set her back. Instead of giving up, she would pick herself up and work even harder to make it there. The perseverance that she showed was a recurring theme throughout the book, and I can personally relate to it because of the fight with sickness that I have been dealing with this track
season. Like most people, I have certain things that I prioritize in my life. Things that make me get up in the morning, and give me a purpose for the day. Things that define me as a person and bring me happiness. Personally, those things are Faith above all, then family, friends, athletics, and academics. I have always valued these aspects of my life. Having a strong Faith, a good relationships with my family, close friends, good grades, and athletic success are things I have found that I need to be happy. When one of these categories is hurting, it throws off the balance and makes me feel as though I am losing control of my life. In extreme situations, it can even make me question who I am and what makes me me. During my senior year of high school, something happened that damaged almost every one of these categories, knocking me off my feet, and putting me into a slump that I didn't know if I would be able to get out of. I felt like I was losing control, and my life was falling into pieces. The worst part about it was that I didn't have the energy to put it back together, and didn't know if I would ever be able to get things back to the way they used to be. The thing that was able to throw such a curveball at my senior year and possibly the rest of my future was getting sick with mono. Coming down with this virus not only affected my physical health, but it wrecked havoc on my mental health as well. It started by taking me out of sports and school, and from that point forward it took on a domino effect, knocking down all of the other important aspects of my life. I’ve been involved in sports for as long as I can remember. I found success in them from an early age, and competing in athletic events always brought me happiness. I’ve been involved in various teams over the years, and from little kickers soccer to travel teams, I have made some of the best memories of my life. My childhood would not have been the same without sports, and I am so thankful the experiences I gained through them. Looking back, it is easy to see why they are such a big part of who I am today. Playing soccer and running track have been the highlights of my highschool career. I know that when I'm looking back at high school in thirty or forty years I will remember the times I spent on the field and track above all else. I was fortunate enough to find great success in track. Both my sophomore and junior years our girls team won state, and I was the runner up in the 800. I know the hard work and dedication that it took to make that happen, and I don't take those accomplishments for granted. This set me up for great opportunities as far as college recruitment and scholarships go, and I was able to get a full ride to the University of Akron. Don’t get me wrong, this was a huge blessing that I was beyond grateful for; however, it did raise the stakes for my senior track season. I was now an investment of the University of Akron, and my performances needed to be held up to the standard that they were expecting. Needless to say, the bar had been set pretty high. This added some stress going into the indoor season, but I still had confidence in myself and my abilities. I put in tons of mileage, and things were off to a decent start for me until I started feeling tired beyond control. I kept pushing through the tiredness, thinking that maybe I was just out of shape, and if I kept training hard it would get better. It did not get better; in fact, my throat started to hurt unlike any sore throat I had ever felt. It was an excruciating, constant pain that made it nearly impossible to eat, drink, sleep, and even breath. When I went to the doctor, they told me I had mono, and I was devastated. This could not be happening to me. I didn't have time for a setback, I needed to come back faster and stronger than ever this year, and I could not afford to take weeks, or even months off! Unfortunately, it wasn't in my control anymore, and the only remedy the doctors gave me for it was time, time that I didn't have. The best thing I could do was drug myself up on tylenol extra strength, ibuprofen, and nyquil in an attempt to make the pain bearable, as well as east as much vitamin C as I could fit into my diet to boost my immune system. I called Quisno to break the news to him, and he thought I was joking at first, saying that it wasn't funny, and I shouldn't joke about something that devastating. When I convinced him that I was, in fact, telling the truth, he didn't spare my feelings with his reaction. He bluntly stated that this most likely meant the end of my indoor season and could affect me into the outdoor season as well. As far as my training went, he completely shut me down for five weeks. That meant five weeks without running as much as a single mile. The thing about distance training, however, is that once someone is out for that amount of time, it takes them back to square one. All of the training and conditioning I had done for months before I had gotten mono were wiped clean, I was now in the worst shape of my life. Along with being in terrible physical shape, not working also out put me in a bad place mentally. Since working out releases endorphins in the body, it has always been a good stress relief for me, and a necessary part of my daily routine that I could no longer turn to. This being said, when the five weeks were up, I was more than eager to run again. I started out with just some easy mileage, but even that was hard for me. It was so mentally discouraging to know that what was once a two mile easy run, was now a workout that I struggled to complete. Just two weeks after I was back, I had to run in the indoor state meet. To add to my stress, the meet was held at Akron, so my future coaches and teammates would be there. In the 4/800m relay, I ran a time that was ten seconds slower than last year, and I about died doing it. Knowing that it would take time to get back to what I used to run, I tried to keep a positive attitude and focus on outdoor. When the first outdoor practice came around, I still wasn't where I wanted to be. It was more than just being out of shape. I was still feeling the effects of mono. Tired doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. I was constantly exhausted. Even the warm up was a struggle for me to complete. This was mentally hard for me to grasp because I wanted nothing more than to feel like myself again, but it wasn't in my control. At this point, Quisno had me doing the beginner workouts, which were still hard for me. After about a week of this “taking it easy” we came to the conclusion that we had no clue when the tiredness would go away because it certainly wasn't showing promising signs of getting better. This being said, our new plan was to, in Quizno's words, “Either run you into the ground, or you’ll emerge a champion.” I knew this meant tough training in my future, but it was a plan I could live with because I was tired of sitting around and doing nothing. I was ready to take my career back into my own hands.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir told from the perspective of a young girl (the author) who goes through an extremely hard childhood. Jeannette writes about the foodless days and homeless nights, however Jeannette uses determination, positivity, sets goals, and saves money, because of this she overcame her struggles. One of the ways Jeannette survived her tough childhood was her ability to stay positive. Throughout The Glass Castle, Jeannette was put in deplorable houses, and at each one she tries to improve it. “A layer of yellow paint, I realized would completely transform, our dingy gray house,” (Walls 180).
In Jeannette Walls memoir The Glass Castle, the Walls show characteristics of good parents. They are imaginative, very smart, and caring.
Every day the safety and well-being of many children are threatened by neglect. Each child deserves the comfort of having parents whom provide for their children. Throughout the memoir, The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls explains the childhood from being born into the hands of parent who neglect their children. Many may argue that children need to grow with their parents; however, the removal of children is necessary if the parents disregard the kid’s needs and cannot provide a stable life for their children.
Throughout the Glass Castle there is a constant shift in Jeanettes tone through her use of diction. Her memoir is centered around her memories with her family, but mainly her father Rex Walls. Although it is obvious through the eyes of the reader that Rex is an unfit parent and takes no responsibility for his children, in her childhood years Jeanette continually portrays Rex as an intelligent and loving father, describing her younger memories with admiration in her tone. The capitalization of “Dad” reflects Jeannette’s overall admiration for her father and his exemplary valor. “Dad always fought harder, flew faster, and gambled smarter than everyone else in his stories”(Walls 24). Jeanette also uses simple diction to describe her father, by starting sentences with, “Dad said,” over and over. By choosing to use basic language instead of stronger verbs, she captures her experience in a pure and honest tone.
The Glass Castle is a memoir written by Jeannette Walls about her family. In this story she tells about her adventurous and dangerous childhood that shaped her to be the person she is today. Which is a strong, optimistic, responsible woman who knows how to roll with the burns and the punches literally. Brian, who is younger than Jeannette was her partner in crime in all her childhood memories. Maureen was the youngest she was not too close with the family and if I had one way to describe her it would be lost. Lori was oldest sibling and the total opposite. She was more reserved and very into her art. Which she took after their mother, RoseMary. RoseMary was a selfish woman, she would constantly put herself first. She was also, very weak and
In the novel, The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls recounts her childhood as a tale of harsh struggle and of conflicting viewpoints. The set of ideals which she developed as an individual along with those instilled within her by her parents seemingly rival those purported by society and the developed world, creating an internal struggle greater than any of her physical conflicts. Examples of such conflicts involve the abstract areas of race, wealth versus poverty, and idealism versus realism.
Jeannette Walls has lived a life that many of us probably never will, the life of a migrant. The majority of her developmental years were spent moving to new places, sometimes just picking up and skipping town overnight. Frugality was simply a way of life for the Walls. Their homes were not always in perfect condition but they continued with their lives. With a brazen alcoholic and chain-smoker of a father and a mother who is narcissistic and wishes her children were not born so that she could have been a successful artist, Jeannette did a better job of raising herself semi-autonomously than her parents did if they had tried. One thing that did not change through all that time was the love she had for her mother, father, brother and sisters. The message that I received from reading this memoir is that family has a strong bond that will stay strong in the face of adversity.
There are several different social issues presented in Jeannette Wall’s memoir “The Glass Castle.” These issues include neglect – medical and education. unsanitary living conditions, homelessness, unemployment, alcohol abuse, domestic violence. violence, discrimination, mental health issues, physical and sexual abuse, hunger and poverty. Poverty was one of the major key issues addressed in this memoir.
Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, has most definitely responded to Faulkner’s outreach, and responded very strongly at that. She has more than accomplished her duty as a writer. Her memoir The Glass Castle is one of the most honest, raw, emotion and heart-filled pieces of literature ever to grace humanity. In this memoir, Walls uses many various rhetorical strategies to fulfill her duty as an author and embrace Faulkner’s message. Throughout the book, every range of emotion can be felt by the reader, due in large part to the expert use of Walls’ rhetorical strategies. These rhetorical strategies paint such vivid images that the reader can feel the sacrifice, the pity, and the love of Walls’ story as if they were standing alongside Jeannette herself.
The Glass Castle is a memoir of the writer Jeannette Walls life. Her family consists of her father Rex Walls, her mother Rose Mary Walls, her older sister Lori Walls, her younger brother Brian Walls and her younger sister Maureen Walls. Jeannette Walls grew up with a lot of hardships with her dad being an alcoholic and they never seemed to have any money. Throughout Jeanette’s childhood, there are three things that symbolize something to Jeannette, they are fire, New York City and the Glass Castle, which shows that symbolism gives meanings to writing.
It is commonly believed that the only way to overcome difficult situations is by taking initiative in making a positive change, although this is not always the case. The theme of the memoir the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is that the changes made in children’s lives when living under desperate circumstances do not always yield positive results. In the book, Jeannette desperately tries to improve her life and her family’s life as a child, but she is unable to do so despite her best efforts. This theme is portrayed through three significant literary devices in the book: irony, symbolism and allusion.
Author Jeannette Walls, just like so many other Americans in the United States was deeply impacted by poverty. Poverty in the United States is not an uncommon occurrence and thousands of people in the United States are currently being raised well below the poverty line. Jeannette Walls in her memoir The Glass Castle was one child who was greatly impacted in a positive way due to the lessons and hope her parents were able to give her. This gave her perseverance, persistence and power to become the successful person she has become today.
Education plays a big role in our daily lives. Education is commonly defined as a process of learning and obtaining knowledge. The story takes place beginning in the late 1950s to the early 2000s. Jeannette Walls is the main character of the story and the narrator. She tells the events of her life living with careless and yet loving parents. This family of six lived in many cities and towns and went through tough states to stay alive. Her mother and father never kept a good steady job, but they had great intelligence. Jeannette and her siblings barely went to school to get the proper education they needed. In the book The Glass Castle, author Jeanette Walls discovers the idea that a conservative education may possibly not always be the best education due to the fact that the Walls children were taught more from the experiences their parents gave them than any regular school or textbook could give them. In this novel readers are able to get an indication of how the parents Rex and Rosemary Walls, choose to educate and give life lessons to their children to see the better side of their daily struggles.
Could the dysfunction of the Walls family have fostered the extraordinary resilience and strength of the three older siblings through a collaborative set of rites of passage? One could argue that the unusual and destructive behavior of the parents forced the children into a unique collection of rites of passage that resulted in surprisingly resilient and successful adults. In moving back to Welch, Virginia, the children lost what minimal sense of security they may have enjoyed while living in their grandmother’s home in Arizona. The culture and climate (both socially and environmentally) along with an increased awareness of their poverty resulted in a significant loss of identity. As they learned new social and survival skills in this desperate environment, there is a powerful sense of camaraderie between the older children. Their awareness, drive and cunning survival skills while living in Welch result in a developing sense of confidence in their ability to survive anything. This transition, while wretched, sets the stage for their ability to leave their environment behind with little concern for a lack of success. As the children leave, one by one, to New York, they continue to support one another, and emerge as capable, resourceful young adults.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a harrowing and heartbreaking yet an inspiring memoir of a young girl named Jeannette who was deprived of her childhood by her dysfunctional and unorthodox parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls. Forced to grow up, Walls stumbled upon coping with of her impractical “free-spirited” mother and her intellectual but alcoholic father, which became her asylum from the real world, spinning her uncontrollably. Walls uses pathos, imagery, and narrative coherence to illustrate that sometimes one needs to go through the hardships of life in order to find the determination to become a better individual.