The following passage epitomizes the Walls’ lifestyle, Jeanette's parent’s teaching mantra being, “If you don’t want to sink, you better figure out how to swim.” This attitude towards life reminds me of when Rose Mary says, “Suffering is good for the soul” earlier in the story. In this scene in particular, Rex Walls attempts teaching Jeannette how to swim. However, he takes a different approach than most parents would, continually pushing her away from him, and allowing her to thrash around in the waters, drowning until he brought her back to the shallow end of the spring. Although a memorable section of the text, this wasn’t the only occurrence where the parenting of the Walls’ bordered neglect. Rose Mary and Rex barely restrict the affairs of their children, but it is uncertain if their motive is to teach their kids independence, or if they truly don’t care as long as they come back safe. When Jeanette flew out the doors of the Green Caboose, left for hours in the desert, she was convinced she’d be left to fend for herself, …show more content…
Even though she is fairly young in the time the family lives in Battle Mountain, she still can be described as tolerant and understanding in most situations. Her father was really pushing her, making her suffer, and though at first upset with his actions, she quickly analyzed the situation, coming to an understanding as to why he did what he did. For a short time, she resented her family at the sulfur spring because as she was drowning, her own mother floated on her back, unconcerned with what Jeannette thought was a life or death situation. In the end, Jeannette came to the conclusion that maybe her father’s actions were justified. There was no way he would let anything happen to her, and there was no other way to explain why he or her family would let her drown, so she tolerated the
Jeannette knew that she was going to have to continue living like this and this is how it was going to have to be from now on. An example being, “Instead of beds, we kids slept in a cardboard box, like the ones refrigerators get delivered in” (Walls 52). Jeannette was happy she had something to sleep in and never complained that it wasn’t enough even though she deserved better. She was so used to not having enough that she didn’t want anything better. When her parents suggested to get her a new bed she denied it.
He conveys that Jeanette can become triumphant over anything she puts her mind to; as long as she is confident, she can overcome any obstacle in life. In a similar way, when the Walls go to the Hot Pot to swim, although her siblings know how, Jeanette does not know how to swim. In an attempt to teach her, Rex heaves her into the middle by herself, only saving her when she starts to sink. He continues to throw her out into the water repeatedly, saying, “you can’t cling to the side your whole life; one lesson every parent needs to teach a child is ‘if you don’t want to sink, you better figure out how to swim’” (66). Using another metaphor for a life lesson, Rex ensures that Jeanette understands that no one will do everything for her in life, and if she does not learn how to take care of herself, she will never survive in the world by herself.
In the memoir The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, her parent’s values are different from hers and her siblings. Specifically, Walls remembers a time where her and her brother found a ring and their mother took it from them: “She was keeping it… to replace the wedding ring her mother had given her, the one Dad had pawned shortly after they got married. “But Mom,” I said, “that ring could get us a lot of food.” “That’s true,” Mom said, “but it could also improve my self-esteem. And at times like these, self-esteem is even more vital than food.””
Since the Walls family is so poor and homeless it seems that Rex and Rosemary are not always there to give their children the support and comfort that kids need at a young age. Instead of giving love and comfort, they decide to teach their kids how to be tough and how to learn to do things themselves. Unlike most parents, who focus on supporting, caring for their children first, and then teaching them how to live on their own once they get much older. This attentive parenting method is not visible in the Walls’ family. For example, when Jeannette has her accident with fire and explained it to the nurses she gets rather surprised and
This normally would be a very fun activity, but Jeannette does not know how to swim or even float. Naturally, Rex throws her into the deep pool and keeps pushing her back and under the water, making her fear for her safety (Walls 66). This action shows that Rex Walls put no thought into his daughter's safety. This behavior is considered dangerous because his daughter was not properly prepared or trained to be put in such a deep pool without help from her parents. Rex was used to this type of behavior from his alcoholic mind so he did not think much of it, even though he was endangering his daughter.
( Page 23 ) In the quote above, Jeannette portrayed her father is a positive way. She says, “Dad was perfect,” even though the quote provides information that he is flawed by being an alcoholic. Rex Walls made Jeannette’s life scary and eventful, but she continued to love him and keep him on a pedestal.
“That’s my girl! Dad said with a hug, then barked orders at us all to speed things up” (17). They show their kids what they believe to be a good life, and they don’t let their children think anything negative about it because that if their
It seems that Jeannette grew up in cases of extreme abuse and neglect, and this causes her to rely on her siblings and gives her motivation to be successful. Jeannette’s parents, Rex and Rosemary Walls, most certainly had an interesting lifestyle causing short and long-term effects for all four of their children. Throughout the book, Rex’s substance abuse and Rosemary’s neglect
Her father, Rex Walls, was a charismatic and creative man when sober; however, alcohol turns him into “an angry-eyed stranger” (Walls 23). The surroundings and conditions of her past made Jeannette stronger and allowed her to become who she is today. Throughout the novel, Jeannette went from an innocent
Her kids have to push her to wake up. Jeanette creates her lesson plans that use Mary isn’t behind. When Rosemary gets in trouble for not disciplining
“If you don 't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim” (41). Although Rex Walls was not always an admirable father and role model, he did make an essential point while teaching his daughter, Jeannette, how to swim. In life, not everything comes without resistance. As Jeannette Walls describes throughout her life story, sometimes people are forced to face hardships that make them question their whole life. However, as seen in her book, it is important to learn to take those hardships and use them to shape one’s future for the better.
Rex’s method is not that of many fathers, his being “sink or swim”, providing not only the ability to swim but also a strong metaphor for the reader and Jeannette. This is a representation of not only the Walls’ teaching strategy, also for the struggle to succeed in a life the Jeannette has literally been thrown into. Jeannette takes this idea to heart even though she may not realize it, for her not to succumb to the environment in which encapsulates her, such as Welch and life on the road, she must be able to handle these hard situations and be able to stay
Paul Ryan once said, “Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.” Individuals must strive upon excellence based on the society they are placed in. Watching how others react can help one become the best they can be. Throughout The Glass Castle, Jeannette is exposed to society by her parents. Her parents, Rex and Rose Mary, see society in different means than how others perceive it.
After graduating middle school her friend lost touch with her and eventually left her life for good: “By the time she got to Welch High Dinitia changed.” Jeannette was also sexually harassed by one of her friends in Phoenix while playing hide-and-seek: “Billy smushed his face against mine… ‘Guess what?’Billy shouted. ‘I raped you’” Lastly, while going to school in Phoenix Jeannette was bullied for being smart and skinny: “The other students didn’t like me much because I was so tall and pale and skinny and always raised my hand too fast… A few days after I started school, four Mexican girls followed me home and jumped me in an alleyway…”
The most influential novel that I read this year is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Walls’s memoir had moving themes of strength, perseverance and forgiveness. It also caused me to have passionate reactions. Finally, The Glass Castle impacted me the most because it forced me to reconsider my opinion of homeless people. This novel was a beneficial reading experience.