The Glass Castle Research Paper

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The Complexities of Child Negligence In a world so focused on preserving the innocence of future generations, the jarring reality cannot be ignored any longer. Child neglect is a rising catastrophe within society and further negligence of the issue will only make matters worse. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir that takes place in several locations throughout the late 1900s. Child negligence is introduced as a mental obstacle in The Glass Castle as children in the Walls family experience a stunt in their ability to mentally grow as they navigate into adulthood. Rex and Maureen symbolize the residual effects of child negligence with their combined struggle to combat the trauma inflicted by their abusers. However, Jeannette’s resilience …show more content…

For instance, the physical and emotional scars from events like the hot dog fire, a consequence of her parents' neglect, illustrate the trauma that Jeannette was forced to endure. Even so, Jeannette’s traits of resilience and determination despite the trauma that was inflicted on her as a child prove that child negligence may lead to trauma that could never be resolved, but that doesn’t necessarily determine the potential one possesses to forge a successful future. On the other hand, Rex’s addiction to harmful coping mechanisms giving him the inability to take proper care of his children, and Maureen’s dependency on others due to neglect impairing Maureen’s ability to become independent proves that child negligence may lead to trauma that can and will determine the potential one possesses to forge a successful future. The contrasting experiences represented in The Glass Castle symbolize that even in today’s society, there are still very complex outcomes of child negligence due to the differences in how one responds to

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