The Glass Castle Essay
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 Glass Castle gives her hope that things will always be
…show more content…
Despite Rex's repeated promises to build the Glass Castle, the family is never able to achieve this goal, and instead they are constantly on the move, living in poverty and squalor. When the family finally settles down, they begin building the glass castle and start with digging the hole for the foundation. “But since we couldn’t afford to pay the town’s trash collection fee, our garbage was really piling up. One day dad told us to dump it in the hole.” (Walls 157) The hope given by the glass castle beginning to be build was beginning to fade into a distant dream. “‘What are we going to do about the garbage pit?” I asked “it’s almost filled up.” “Enlarge it,” Mom said.’” (Walls 158) Jeannette's father's alcoholism and her mother's neglect also add to the family's struggles. The Glass Castle becomes a broken promise. An example of the lack of action and motivation from Jeannette's …show more content…
She starts to realize that the Glass Castle is not a realistic goal, it keeps her going for her younger life and now she needs to climb out of her hardships herself. “‘I stared at the plans. “Dad,” I said, “you’ll never build the Glass Castle.” “Are you saying you don’t have faith in your old man?” “Even if you do, I’ll be gone. In less than three months, I’m leaving for New York City.’” (Walls 238) Jeanette had finally decided to give up on her false hope in her family. While she could have lived in Welch for the rest of her life, struggling to live while following the hope provided by the Glass Castle blindly, Jeanette left to make her life better, thus turning the glass castle into a memory of hope from the
The Social Issue Of Poverty In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
414 Words | 2 PagesThe Glass Castle is a memoir written by Jeannette Walls. The memoir is about her journey growing up in poverty with a dysfunctional family. Jeannette is one of four siblings who all learned how to take care of themselves. Her father was an alcoholic who used the money to buy alcohol instead of caring for his family. When sober, he taught his kids about science and how to be fearless.
Childhood In The Glass Castle By Jeanette Wells
592 Words | 3 PagesThe story of The Glass Castle takes you on a journey through childhood from the point of Jeanette Wells. Jeanette lived through a lot of incidents that can be tied into social psychology and how people react to the situations they are put into. While we may not relate to her life of moving and extreme poverty, we can boil down her life situations into concepts that everyone can relate to and has been through. The Glass Castle starts with Jeannette as an adult witnessing her mother rooting through a dumpster in New York City.
Symbolism In The Glass Castle
1763 Words | 8 PagesMatthew Seikel Mrs. Wood English III 07 February 2023 The Importance of The Metaphor The Glass Castle The goal of building The Glass Castle caused many ups and downs for the Walls family. In the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls the family is very poor and Rex who is the father wants to build a glass castle for the family. Jeannette who is the author and one of the main characters has positive outlooks and negative outlooks on her father wanting to build the glass castle. Rex tries his hardest throughout the book to bring happiness in trying to build the glass castle however, it seems he hurts the family rather than helping the family.
Symbolism In Jeanette's 'Glass Castle'
445 Words | 2 PagesGlass Castle: The “glass castle” symbolizes Rex’s; Jeanette’s father’s hope and dreams. Before Lori was born; Rex and Rose had a baby girl whom unfortunately died at nine months. This caused a spiral downfall in Rex’s life making him become bitterer, gloomy, dark, and an increasing consumption of alcohol. But even though that situation occurred he still held on to that dream of building the glass castle. One of the biggest current problem he faces in his life is alcoholism.
Summary Of The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
1206 Words | 5 PagesIn the Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls describes her life and the constant struggles her family goes through. Within the first chapter, Jeannette is sitting in a taxi in New York city when she notices her mother digging through the trash. At first, Jeannette becomes very embarrassed since her mother is homeless. Jeannette finally decides to contact her mother's friend, who delivers messages between Jeannette and her mother, and they set up a lunch date. At the lunch date, Jeannette offers her mother money, however, her mom denies it and insists that she likes how she lives.
The Glass Castle, By Jeannette Walls
1122 Words | 5 Pages“If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim. ”(Walls 41)This is what the protagonist had to do for everything in her life. If she wanted to live a good life she had to be independent and figure everything out on her own without any help. The memoir The Glass Castle is based on a true story that happened to Jeannette Walls beginning in the 1960s.
The Glass Castle Theme Essay
675 Words | 3 PagesJeannette take up the responsibility of taking care the household. She had grown up to think carefully of the way to spend the money, since most children of her age would spend money on their own needs and amusement, not on the thing they really needs and what others needs. As you can see, sometimes you can be mature and responsible at a very young age. In conclusion, the theme for The Glass Castle is sometimes you can be mature and responsible at a very young age.
Social Work System In The Glass Castle
849 Words | 4 PagesIt is evident that her childhood may have impacted her in a more severe psychological way. The book The Glass Castle is a very interesting narrative. The author Jeanette Walls is able to bring new light to circumstances that many people choose to ignore or overlook by writing about her own childhood. This gives the book a new perspective and allows the reader to gain insight.
Hope In Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle
746 Words | 3 Pages“Believe in miracles…. Hope is never lost” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland). Believing that the worst is behind them and that they will come upon a better life is the only way that Jeanette Wall’s family is able to stay afloat. In Jeannette Walls’ memoir The Glass Castle, the symbol of hope is portrayed through a Glass Castle: a real home in which everyone is important and loved.
Analysis Of Childhood In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
611 Words | 3 PagesIn The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls faces harsh stuff through her childhood because of her parents. In the beginning of the book she finds her mother digging through trash. She feels embarrassed, so she turns around and goes home without saying hello. Jeanette then calls her mother and asks to have dinner with her. She offers her mother help because she feels guilty, but her mother rejects her help.
The Glass Castle Symbolism
1211 Words | 5 PagesAs a child, Jeannette Walls moves around constantly with her family. The Walls family would move to different desert towns and settle as long as Mr. Walls can hold a job. When sober, Mr. Walls represents a charismatic father who loves his children and teaches them important life skills. He encourages imagination inside of the Walls kids and often captures their dream and creativity. Together, the family had planned to build a glass castle that contains all of the family’s hope and inspiration.
The Struggle In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
732 Words | 3 PagesIn this world, there’s learning things the hard way and the easy way; in Jeannette Wall’s world, there’s only learning things the hard way. The Glass Castle is an adventurous story that reveals the painfully miserable story of Jeannette Walls. A selfish mother, a careless father, and terrible social encounters- these are some of the elements of a harsh reality Rex and Rose Mary Walls failed to shield their children from. Growing up poor was already difficult, but growing up with a selfish parent, specifically an unfeeling mom, made life hell for the Walls children. The family barely had one source of income from Rex Walls, and instead of helping out with the family’s finance issues, Rose Mary spent her days at home painting.
Jeannette Walls: The Symbolism Of The Glass Castle
1118 Words | 5 PagesFurthermore, Walls’ enthusiasm about the Glass Castle, calling it “special” and “great”, communicates to the reader that this is what she perceives to be her dream in life. She believes that the
Reflection On The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
799 Words | 4 PagesThe Glass Castle is the life story of a girl, Jeannette Walls, and her siblings who grew up in poverty unnecessarily because of their parents’ irresponsibility. One of its themes is that strength and perseverance can significantly improve your chance at success and your future. The Walls children did not allow their childhood struggles prevent them from creating better and brighter futures for themselves. They all grew up impressively sane considering their living conditions.
The Glass Castle Book Report
515 Words | 3 PagesIn “ The glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, Jeannette was the main support in the Walls home. Growing up in a household where her father was an alcoholic and a childish mother, she finds a way to leave the nest with her siblings and become a successful adult. Initially, Jeannette was soft spoken and mature for her age, however over the course the course of the novel she spoke her mind and became successful and independent. In the beginning of the book, Jeannette was well behaved and acted mature for a three year old.
More about The Glass Castle Essay
The Social Issue Of Poverty In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
414 Words | 2 PagesChildhood In The Glass Castle By Jeanette Wells
592 Words | 3 PagesSymbolism In The Glass Castle
1763 Words | 8 PagesSymbolism In Jeanette's 'Glass Castle'
445 Words | 2 PagesSummary Of The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
1206 Words | 5 PagesThe Glass Castle, By Jeannette Walls
1122 Words | 5 PagesThe Glass Castle Theme Essay
675 Words | 3 PagesSocial Work System In The Glass Castle
849 Words | 4 PagesHope In Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle
746 Words | 3 PagesAnalysis Of Childhood In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
611 Words | 3 PagesThe Glass Castle Symbolism
1211 Words | 5 PagesThe Struggle In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
732 Words | 3 PagesJeannette Walls: The Symbolism Of The Glass Castle
1118 Words | 5 PagesReflection On The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls
799 Words | 4 PagesThe Glass Castle Book Report
515 Words | 3 Pages