Courtney brown
Dr.Anne farmer
05/15/23
The Glass Castle and The American Dream
Jeannette Wall's life is an example of the American dream because the book shows it doesn't matter where you come from, you can always reach the top.
“The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers.” (cited https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream)
Jaenete was forced to Become independent and she had to decide if leaving was the right choice
Jannete was three years old and had to make her own food, she also had to be moved around all of the time her family never stayed in one place Jannete Walls wrote The Glass Castle to share her trauma and how she got to the top even though she struggled through her life as a child.
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She worried about her mother and father. She tried to help them but things kept going wrong. Her dad was an alcoholic and her mother didn't want to work; she just wanted to keep hope in her painting career. “Your father and I are who we are, accept it” page 5, Jannete tried to help them find a place to stay but they would always fall behind on payments and they would be kicked out on the streets of new york city. In conclusion Jannete had to become independent at a young age but also worried about her mother and
[“I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.” In the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls she writes about her life growing up as a kid.] From moving around her whole childhood and not ever having enough food, to growing up to being a successful writer. They somehow make it through, proving that money can't buy happiness…but it can pay the rent and buy clothes and food, which helps.
The poverty rates are growing by the year as many families struggle to afford sufficient housing, this ultimately impacts the quality of life for their kids. In the novel The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls, it shows the life of Jeannette as a child growing up in a house with a constant cycle of poverty, and homelessness. To push past her families issues, Jeannette thrived in her schoolwork and became a writer for her school newspaper. As she grew older and worked harder, Jeannette moved to New York with her siblings to pursue her career in newswriting. Soon after, both of her parents followed and were homeless for many years.
In Janie’s growth, her thoughts and fantasies were shaped to only focus on simple matters. Nancy would pressure Janie to settle down, get married to a rich man, and live a certain lifestyle. The pressure Nanny applied succeeded as Janie married again and again to certain men. That man, being wealthy [Joe] which did lead her to wealth and prestige, yet did not grant what she deeply desired: freedom and happiness.
Janie was strong, confident, happy and content with her life in the end of this book. She got everything she could out of her life. Ultimately that’s the best thing Janie could get and gain from her whole experience. Overall Janie did what neither her mother or Nanny could do. Get through life growing and getting everything she wanted; love and adventure.
Imagine growing up on the streets, living in cars, in broken homes and then living in an apartment on Park Avenue in New York City. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls, is a memoir about Jeanette and her siblings childhood, going through poverty and parents who were were irresponsible, neglectful and careless. The memoir talks about the many obstacles their family faced and how they overcame them. Jeanette moving to New York symbolizes a new chapter in her life and becoming independent from her family, and finally breaking the “skedaddle” streak. After high school, college is the next step in life.
Because, She was just a young kid, nothing to worry about. Living how she wanted happily outside. But this is only a small taste of how the Walls family experienced the American Dream. There were many ways the Glass castle related to the American Dream. However, something that stuck out to me was the Wall's living conditions.
The Glass Castle and the American Dream I think Jeannette Walls life is in amazing example of the American Dream. “The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers.” (cited https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream). One of the reasons why I think that the Glass Castle is a great example of the American Dream is because Jeannette Walls very poor and things were hard for her and her family like her mom was digging around the trash can and jeannette was very embarrassed
She learned to never give up and to never stay still, she knows she can always do better. Janie's dreams were opposite from her nanny, her nanny just wanted Janie to be someone who is taken care of just so she can be sitting down all day,
It would have been really easy to give up and embrace the ideals of your parents. Jeannette raised herself; they didn’t even have the necessary items like: water, clean clothes, food, and shelter. Her own mother Rose Mary said, “and at times like these self esteem is even more vital than food.” (186) The quote shows how Rose Mary is, and how good of a parent she was, would rather work on art or eat silently so her starving children couldn’t hear her.
Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a captivating memoir about the early life of Jeannette Walls and her family. It demonstrates the darker side of the American dream as they struggle with poverty, homelessness, bullying, hunger, and as far as the children's neglectful treatment from their parents. “The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers.” (cited https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream) We see multiple instances of poverty, homelessness, discrimination,
In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, it tells about how the Walls family move to different desert towns, settling in for as long as their father, Rex, can hold a job. However, his perspective of the state and society, and his alcoholism led them to move frequently. The children - Lori, Jeannette, Brian, and little Maureen- experiences unusual childhood, where they travel like nomads to find new money source. This lead to the theme, sometimes you can be mature and responsible at a very young age. The theme is developed by how Jeannette learns how to take care of herself and her younger siblings, and the way her parent taught her.
Success: An Escape from Privation Inevitably, the conflicts people face at multiple points in their life is a determining factor in shaping individuals into the person they will eventually become. Namely, these conflicts direct people 's behavior over the course of time; contributing to a person’s ability to achieve success. In particular, Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle is an honest depiction of her life and the conflicts that arise throughout her state of impoverishment, as well as the success that stems from her hardships.
The Glass Castle is a perfect and stable home, a better future for the family to live in. It is a recurring dream and goal for Jeannette's father, Rex, who wants to build a grand and beautiful home for his family. However, In Jeannette Walls' memoir "The Glass Castle," the Glass Castle changes from a symbol of hope for the family and turns into a reminder of the gap between dreams and reality, eventually becoming nothing more than a faint memory, a reminder from the past of what it took to survive the hardships and dysfunction of the Walls family. In the beginning of the book, Jeanette describes her life as a never ending adventure “with nothing but the best outlooks for her life.
The American Dream is aspiring for more than the circumstances in which you were born. This includes: realizing there is more to life than what a person is subject to, realizing that they have more opportunity than those before them, and acting upon these aspirations to any degree. Altogether these concepts make up the American Dream, because the American Dream is more of a mindset rather than a state of being. Someone who does the previously defined things is living the American Dream more than someone who is wealthy and doesn’t strive for something more than what they already have. For this reason, the Walls’ children exemplify the American Dream instead of Siegel children in The Queen of Versailles.
“Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy. You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more.” The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls has very important life lessons that will teach you to laugh at your tragedies sometimes. The most important lessons are that struggle makes you unique, you either sink or swim, and sometimes crisis makes you realize your potential. In the memoir, you will learn these and accept them.