The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Essay - 834 Words

Children these days have a variety of needs, often being surrounded by the ideas of freedom and security. While some people seek complete freedom from society’s rules, others seek the comforts of security that a normal life provides. Children’s preferences on freedom and security are reflected from their Mom and Dad’s parenting style. In The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, the characters Brian, Lori, and Jeannette show that while growing they would rather have security over freedom because they repeatedly find themselves in a state of danger due to their parent’s lack of security. For example, if Jeannette’s parents were accountable while Jeanette was in proximity to fire she would not have been traumatized and severely burnt. Another†¦show more content†¦Later on in the story Brian and Jeanette are out on an adventure by themselves when they come across a small shed-like building. They go inside and discover chemicals which they of cours e immediately start to play with, one mixture they created made a violent reaction and flames erupted out of the beaker. (Insert Quote) In the late of the story it was a very cold morning in the house and Lori could not get a fire to start, being desperate for warmth she resorted to use kerosene to start the fire. Rex had told her to do this before but was not present when she used it. Lori put too much on the fire and when she lit it the fire stimulant exploded in her face and singed her eyebrows. If the children had the protection of their parents from fire their lives would have been safer and more secure. Rex’s abuse of alcohol endangered the entire Wall’s family in multiple ways. Early on in the story Jeannette wants him to resort to being sober because he is useless to the family passed out on the floor drunk, and it was not convenient for Dad to be blowing off the little money the family had on alcohol and gambling especially when during most instances the money was not his to spend (Insert quote). When Rex drove after he had a couple to many beers and shots he would go inebriated rants where he would make his broken down car go as fast as it possibly could until he would overheat the radiator, which would put the family in danger. This terribly upset LoriShow MoreRelatedThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1285 Words   |  6 Pagesthey choose to respond to issues can determine whether the effect of their exposure will end up to be a positive strengthen to their character. In the memoir The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls, we see the effects of past experience s on Jeannette and we see how she uses those situations to shape the person that she becomes. Jeannette is a focal point to the life of success that a person can live even after growing up in an unorthodox family. She goes to prove that even with the strangest lifeRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1685 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Glass Castle† by Jeannette Walls is a memoir of a family that is frequently homeless and living in very poor conditions. Despite all this, the protagonist Jeannette Walls does not lose faith but, but does the exact opposite. She does everything in her power to earn money and get an education so she can escape her current life and move to a place with better opportunities, which is New York (Walls 2005) This book intrigued me because of the way Walls tells her story. She does not have a trouble-freeRead MoreThe Glass Castle, By Jeannette Walls1510 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Glass Castle,† written by an American author and jou rnalist, Jeannette Walls, is a memoir about herself rising up and eluding from the continuous poverty and her unusual parents. Through out the novel, Jeannette describes her non-typical childhood with her optimistic yet delusional mother and a smart yet alcoholic father. Despite the fact Wells’ parents taught their children to be very strong and determined, Jeannette very much believed the way she was raised as being not normal. In our societyRead MoreThe Glass Castle, By Jeannette Walls889 Words   |  4 Pagesstrangeness to beauty to weirdness to tragedy.† In the memoir, The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls the main character and author of the book tells of her crazy and adventurous life she experienced with her not so ordinary family. This quote relates to The Glass Castle, because like it states, life is full of both tragedies and beauty which is exactly what Jeannette experienced growing up with her free spirited and non-conformative parents. Walls is able to express her main purpose of the book that life isRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1241 Words   |  5 PagesThe Glass Castle In the memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls the author depicts her poverty-stricken past along with her eccentric morals, and dysfunctional parents as they traveled around the country avoiding debt-collectors, while handling unruly situations. The author lives with her three siblings: Brian, Lori, and Maureen Walls; and her two parents: Rex, and Mary Walls. The mother a struggling artist, and the father a jack-of-all-trades with an alcohol addiction. Together they move fromRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1537 Words   |  7 PagesRex Walls, a character in The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, is an abusive, manipulative parent. He exhibits many traits that are classified as neglective, abusive as well as endangering to the general well being of his children. This book tells the heartbreaking story of Jeannette Walls childhood into her adult life. As a child she was exposed to the worst and most sickening aspects of the world due to her parents incapabilities. It emphasizes the struggles of growing up in an underprivilegedRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1382 Words   |  6 PagesWhether nature, nurture, or both influences a person’s individuality has always been up for debate. What makes a person who they are can be any combination of things. In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, home is somewhat of an abstract idea; while in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie Sherman, it is more of an internal struggle of identity and where one belongs. By the end of the novels, however, the main characters both have a strong sense of self. Although the conceptRead MoreJeannette Walls And The Glass Castle1490 Words   |  6 Pagesanything more? Jeannette Walls deals with this throughout her childhood as represented in The Glass Castle. Her parents challenge the social norms and expectations with their uncommon lifestyle and teachings. While doing so, they put their children in awkward sometimes dangerous predic aments. This causes Jeannette in particular to decide whether she trusts and/or forgive her parents. Despite their questionable actions, Jeannette always finds a way to have love her parents. Jeannette always has toRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1922 Words   |  8 PagesA Review: The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls is an American writer in journalist who found success in New York City, most notably writing a gossip column for MSNBC in which she details the effects of gossip in politics. She published her memoir, The Glass Castle, in 2005. The book spent 261 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. In it, Walls recounts her childhood while growing up in an unstable family with her father and mother, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, her older sister Lori, and her youngerRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1588 Words   |  7 Pageschild sees, despite what he/she has been through. In the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, she portraits a situation like that where the character spends her childhood memories with her father. Even though Jeannette’s father Rex Walls was an irresponsible father and failed to protect his children, Jeannette still loved her father dearly. During Christmas Jeannette’s father Rex would give his kids stars as a present. Jeannette describes Rex as an intelligent, loving and smart father that she