the glass castle essay conclusion

“The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls Overview Essay

Introduction, the main characters, the themes of the book, personal opinion, works cited.

A family plays a substantial role in shaping a personality. This fact is a problem for children whose parents fail to pay proper attention to their upbringing due to various addictions. Jeannette Walls was such an unlucky child, and she described her growing up in a dysfunctional family in her memoir The Glass Castle . This essay will give a summary of the book, discuss the main characters and problems, and provide a personal opinion of the story.

Jeanette Walls is one of the four children of Rex and Rose Mary Walls. Her father was a drunkard, and her mother was a teacher who saw her calling in painting. At the age of six, Jeannette and her family moved to Battle Mountain, Nevada. They lived there in a railway station adjusted for residence. For a while, stability came to their life since Rex Walls started working for a mining company. However, he soon lost his job and spent all the money earned by Rose Mary. They also happened to attract the attention of the police due to an incident in their house. To avoid taking their children away from them, the Walls decided to move to the home of Grandma Smith, who was Rose Mary’s mother. The old woman died right before their arrival, but left them a substantial sum of money. However, the money soon was spent, and the family moved to Welch, West Virginia, where Rex’s parents lived.

Then, the Walls left the dwelling of Jeannette’s parental grandmother to settle down in a dilapidated house. Rex said that one day he would build a glass castle in that place, but his children did not believe him. Jeannette asked her mother to get a divorce, but Rose Mary refused. Therefore, Jeannette and her elder sister, Lori, began to save money to flee to New York. Their efforts were successful, and soon, all the four siblings moved to the Big Apple. Their parents also came to New York to live off their children, but as they disapproved of it, Rex and Rose Mary became homeless. Later, Jeannette was driving to a party and saw her mother scavenging the garbage cans. The woman offered her help to Rose Mary, but she refused. The story ends with a family dinner at Jeannette’s house where the Walls remembered Rex, who had died a few years ago.

The first character of the book is Jeannette Walls, the narrator. She had a complicated childhood because of her parents’ irresponsibility, but it helped her to become a strong and determined woman. Being a child, she tried to exonerate her father’s behavior because she believed in him: “I told him that I would never lose faith in him. And I promised myself I never would” (Walls 79). However, as she grew up, she realized that her trust was in vain because Rex was never going to accomplish his plans. As for her mother, Jeannette seems to lack an understanding of her life principles. When she sees Rose Mary in New York scavenging garbage cans, she thinks that her mother needs help. However, when Jeannette hears that Rose Mary is satisfied with her living conditions, she is perplexed. Generally, Jeannette inspires respect because she did not follow her parents’ steps, but became better than they were and reached success in her life.

Another character is Rex Walls, Jeannette’s father, who spent all the money in the family on alcohol. He could have been a conscientious worker since he was smart and had engineering and mathematical expertise. However, he chose the path of an alcoholic and did not bother to stay on any job for long. Some episodes, like the one when he proposed his children to choose their favorite stars as Christmas gifts since he could not give them real presents, prove that Rex had a kind heart and could have made a caring father. However, he was a weak personality who could not conquer his lust for drinks and reluctance to work, and this made his children, including Jeannette, lose faith in him.

The last character worth discussing is Rose Mary, Jeannette’s mother. Although she was qualified as a teacher, she was confident that she was born to be an artist. For this reason, she worked only when Rex had no job to prevent her children from starving. Rose Mary had exceptional values since she did not want to live in comfort, find a high-paid job, or have a happy family with a sober husband. Even when her daughter offered her to help with accommodation because she considered her mother’s lifestyle inappropriate, she refused by saying that “being homeless is an adventure” (Walls 255). Thus, Rose Mary does not evoke sympathy because she has chosen her way of living for herself and appears to be satisfied with it.

The book raises the theme of feeling abnormal and ashamed. According to Bath, young people growing up in nonstandard conditions, like Jeannette Walls, often feel shame because they do not consider themselves normal (132). It is true for Jeannette since she realized that her family was far from being ordinary, and for a long time, she was ashamed to tell anyone about her parents. Eventually, she understood that every person had a past, so there was no need for her to hide her background. It was the reason why she ventured to write her memoir.

Another theme of the novel is individualism and independence from others. Yang and Congzhou argue that it is typical of Americans to rely on themselves and keep apart from their parents after coming of age (53). However, in the Walls family, individualism seems slightly exaggerated and may be interpreted as the parents’ indifference to their offspring. Although Rex and Rose Mary wanted their children to be self-sufficient, they treated them as if they did not care about them. Surprisingly, they achieved this goal since Jeannette with her siblings indeed became independent, but, on the other side, they lost any desire to keep in touch with their parents.

Since the book describes the life of a dysfunctional family, it makes readers think of other people who live in similar conditions. However, this story allows viewing the situation from another angle. Usually, the homeless and the poor evoke sympathy because they are assumed to have had bad luck that has led them to their current state. The book shows that there may be no external circumstances, which ruin people’s life. The author reveals to readers that being a pauper with no home can be someone’s voluntary choice (Cardell and Douglas 23). The main point is that there is no way to help them because it is impossible to assist people who see nothing wrong with their behavior.

To sum up, the book is worth reading because it makes readers face reality, which is full of unpleasant things such as alcohol abuse, poverty, and vagrancy. On the other hand, it shows that a person can overcome all of this, like Jeannette Walls and her siblings did. It reveals that people themselves are responsible for their current situation, and sometimes, only their beliefs prevent them from improving their lives.

Bath, Howard. “Pain and the Unspoken Emotion: Shame.” International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies , vol. 10, no. 2-3, 2019, pp. 126-141.

Cardell, Kylie, and Kate Douglas, editors. Telling Tales: Autobiographies of Childhood and Youth . Routledge, 2017.

Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir . Simon and Schuster, 2017.

Yang, Liu, and Yang Congzhou. “Analysis of Sino-American Family Education Differences: Collectivistic or Individualistic? – Taking The Glass Castle as an Example.” International Education Studies , vol. 11, no. 8, 2018, pp. 51-57.

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Bibliography

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Essays on The Glass Castle

Prompt examples for "the glass castle" essays, jeannette walls' resilience and determination.

Analyze Jeannette Walls' resilience and determination in overcoming the challenges of her unconventional upbringing, and how these traits contribute to her success.

Parental Neglect and Unconventional Parenting

Discuss the themes of parental neglect and unconventional parenting as portrayed in the memoir, focusing on the behavior of Rex and Rose Mary Walls.

The Impact of Poverty and Instability

Examine the effects of poverty, instability, and constant relocation on Jeannette and her siblings, and how these experiences shape their lives.

Sibling Bonds and Support

Explore the importance of sibling bonds and support among Jeannette and her siblings, and how they rely on each other in challenging circumstances.

The Role of Education and Aspiration

Analyze the role of education and the aspiration for a better life in Jeannette's journey, and how they lead her to escape her tumultuous family life.

Symbolism of the Glass Castle

Discuss the symbolism of the "glass castle" as a recurring motif in the memoir, and its significance in the lives of the Walls family members.

Social Services and Government Intervention

Examine the portrayal of social services and government intervention in the memoir, and how they impact the Walls family's lifestyle and choices.

Author's Perspective on Family

Analyze the author's perspective on family, love, and forgiveness as conveyed through her narrative, and how it evolves over the course of the memoir.

Writing as a Form of Catharsis

Discuss the therapeutic and cathartic aspects of writing for Jeannette Walls and how she uses her memoir to come to terms with her past.

Comparison to Other Memoirs

Compare "The Glass Castle" to other memoirs that explore themes of poverty, resilience, and family dynamics, examining commonalities and differences in their narratives.

Symbolism in The Glass Castle: Fire

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Rose Mary Walls Character Analysis

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The Relationship Between a Mother and a Son in "The Glass Castle"

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Jeannette's Overcoming Challenges in The Glass Castle

The complexity of family relationships in jeannette walls' "the glass castle", symbolism in the glass castle, the glass castle theme, what freedom means to me, poverty in the glass castle, the glass castle fire analysis.

Jeannette Walls

Bildungsroman

Jeannette Walls, Dad, Mom, Lori Walls, Brian Walls, Maureen Walls, Grandma Smith, Erma Walls, Dinitia Hewitt, Uncle Stanley, Billy Deel, Grandpa Walls, Eric, John

Fire, animals, hypocrisy, The Glass Castle, stars, Joshua trees

Abuse, compassion vs. boundaries, strength from hardship

“You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that.” “One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty.” “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.” as reading.” “You didn't need a college degree to become one of the people who knew what was really going on. If you paid attention, you could pick things up on your own.”

This book has been used in the elementary school curriculum in North America, causing some controversy as The Glass Castle was ranked 9th on the Intellectual Freedom Office's list of 10 most problematic books in 2012. The Glass Castle was adapted as a feature film released in the summer of 2017. He also has been translated into 31 languages. The Glass Castle was ranked the 17th most banned book in the US in 2010 and 2019, according to the American Library Association.

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Best Discussion Essay Examples

The glass castle essay.

1147 words | 4 page(s)

Introduction

Within the novel, The Glass Castle, the author Jeannette Walls shares a memoir about her life growing up. Throughout the realm of her story, it has been found that she had very difficult moments that can be attributed to factors such as her parents, the different people she surrounded herself with and the overall environment that she was placed in (Walls, 2005). One of the most significant aspects is the fact that Walls greatly appreciated the small factors in life once she was able to obtain them as an adult simply because she did not have much growing up as a child. Her parents were not able to provide her with the privileges that most children have as they are raised in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concepts related to parents and their children’s level of appreciation. Furthermore, there will be an assessment to determine if children appreciate certain factors of life more if their parents provide payment or if they pay themselves.

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Parents and Appreciation Level of Children In today’s society, there is an advancement of multiple innovations that many children have a strong affinity for. Within the middle class, upper middle class and high society environments, many children can be found with expensive gadgets, clothes, cars, etc. because their parents have granted them a life in which they are able to afford those things. Many of those children accept those factors without much appreciation and there are other children who are extremely humble and thankful for everything that they have within their lives. Within the Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls was not fortunate enough to have parents that could buy her everything that she truly desired. In fact, Jeannette’s family starts off by living in a shack in which there is no indoor plumbing or any type of central heating.

She had a strong desire for small things like warm water, in which many children have taken for granted. One major example to take into consideration is the fact that Jeannette’s parents did not have enough money to buy substantial Christmas presents for her and her siblings. Instead, her father took the children outside and asked them to pick their favorite star and that was his gift to them. Walls states the following: “We laughed about all the kids who believed in the Santa myth and got nothing for Christmas but a bunch of cheap plastic toys.” Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten,” Dad said, “you’ll still have your stars” (Walls, 2005). Based on this quote, Walls’ father tried to instill in his children that material gifts will not last forever. Instead, the memories of the stars will.

As a whole, it is my personal belief that parents should give children what they can afford. As children grow up, they should be able to learn about the importance of working hard and obtaining money, but I also believe that children will be able to appreciate life in the grander scheme of things if they are able to pave their own pathways and pay for certain factors themselves. While it is unfortunate that there are many families who cannot afford their next meals, it is also unfortunate that there are children who are not provided with different things such as adequate school supplies or healthy food (Borg, 2014). I do not believe that parents should withhold necessities just so that they can teach their children a lesson (Krishnan, 2014). As seen within the Glass Castle, Walls’ family simply could not afford many things, but as time progressed, this allowed the author’s level of appreciation to grow that much more, especially when she starting paying for things herself.

With regard to college, Walls had a strong desire to gain a beneficial education for herself which is why she worked diligently in order to afford her classes. Since she was paying for everything herself, she told herself that she would not miss anything. In this example, I believe that children can be more appreciative if they are paying for things themselves because they are able to see just how difficult it is for money to get by (Dunrud, 2014). As she was growing up, the following was stated: “You didn’t need a college degree to become one of the people who knew what was really going on. If you paid attention, you could pick things up on your own” (Walls, 2005). Most people in Walls’ environment did not even believe in the concept of obtaining a college education, but she motivated herself and pushed through some of the most difficult times in her life.

Privileges Personally, I believe that I would appreciate certain factors such as college if I were to pay for it myself. Furthermore, if I had large expenses, I believe that I would treat the privileges differently from my friends because I have a strong level of appreciation and I am mindful of the difficulties that exist within life. According to Walls, she states the following: “I wanted to let the world know that no one had a perfect life, that even people who seemed to have it all had their secrets” (Walls, 2005). Based on this quote, there is an understanding that even those people who seem to have it all have many hardships as well. Although Walls’ parents struggled to give her many necessities growing up, there were still people who had many more things and they had their own demons to face. Regardless of the fact that Walls did not have much growing up, she was taught a very valuable lesson by her father: “Life’s too short to worry about what other people think… Anyway, they should accept us for who we are” (Walls, 2005). Although there are people who treat the idea of privilege in different ways, the level of appreciation will always vary depending on the upbringing of the child. Moreover, the ideas of respect and acceptance are known to be more important than material things.

Conclusion Overall, Jeannette Walls has been able to overcome her obstacles even though she faced many trials and tribulations growing up. Personally, I strongly believe that children will be able to appreciate certain parameters even more if they are the individuals who are providing payment. However, while this is the case, I do not believe that children should suffer simply because of limitation regarding monetary factors. As seen within the Glass Castle, there should be a stronger emphasis placed on dignity and respect as opposed to material factors.

• Borg, K. (2014). Spare the rod, spoil the child? The Malta Human Rights Library, 26(4), 23-30.
• Dunrud, T. (2014). Children and money: Teaching children money habits for life. University of Minnesota, 12(4), 1-10.
• Krishnan, A. (2014). No one says no to money. International Journal for Equity in Health, 67(5), 3-6.
• Walls, Jeannette. (2005). The glass castle. Scribner Publishers: New York.

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The Glass Castle

By jeannette walls, the glass castle quotes and analysis.

Until then, when I thought of writers, what first came to mind was Mom, hunched over her typewriter, clattering away on her novels and plays and philosophies of life and occasionally receiving a personalized rejection letter. But a newspaper reporter, instead of holing up in isolation, was in touch with the rest of the world. What the reporter wrote influenced what people thought about and talked about the next day; he knew what was really going on. I decided I wanted to be one of the people who knew what was really going on. 204

In seventh grade Jeannette is the first person her age to work for the school newspaper, The Maroon Wave . She seeks it out as a place where she can belong and have an identity without worrying about people teasing her for being poor or dirty or criticizing her parents. During her work with the school newspaper Jeannette discovers what she wants to do with her life and what she later ends up doing: journalism. It is important that she not keep her work to herself or experience it alone, like her mother, but rather that it exist as a dialogue between her and the rest of the world.

If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim. 66

Rex teaches Jeannette how to swim by literally forcing her to sink or swim. He repeatedly throws her into a sulfur spring in the desert, rescuing her when she sinks only to throw her back in again. Using these methods, Rex is able to train Jeannette to paddle and swim in order to avoid being thrown back into the water. This strategy is representative of Rose Mary and Rex's general approach to parenting. Refusing to coddle their children, they often present them with challenges, some life threatening, that the children are forced to handle.

I wondered if the fire had been out to get me. I wondered if all fire was related, like dad said all humans were related, if the fire that had burned me that day while I cooked hot dogs was somehow connected to the fire I had flushed down the toilet and the fire burning at the hotel. I didn't have the answers to those questions, but what I did know was that 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. 34

After the hotel where they are staying burns down, a young Jeannette begins to think that fire is a recurring part of her life. She believes that her encounters with fire are all connected and impacted by each other. Most importantly, she realizes that her life is unpredictable and her status transient. Fire is sudden and damaging and capable of changing the trajectory of one's life in an instant. Jeannette's early experiences with fire foreshadow the combustive events to follow in her life.

Mom frowned at me. 'You'd be destroying what makes it special' she said, 'It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty'. 38

When Jeannette devises a plan to aright the Joshua tree which has grown sideways in the direction of the constant wind that passes over it, her mother quickly dismisses the idea. Rose Mary claims that the tree is beautiful not because it grows straight like the other trees, but rather because its struggle defines it and makes it unique. Rose Mary is typically unwilling to tamper with nature and she is particularly drawn to the unique form of the Joshua Tree. Through the figure of the tree a young Jeannette learns an important lesson about non-conformity.

After dinner the whole family stretched out on the benches and the floor of the depot and read, with the dictionary in the middle of the room so we kids could look up words we didn't know...Occasionally, on those nights when we were all reading together, a train would thunder by, shaking the house and rattling the windows. The noise was thunderous, but after we'd been there a while, we didn't even hear it. 56-57

This scene depicts one of the few peaceful, bonding moments shared between members of the Wells family. Not coincidentally, the family bonds around literature and reading. The importance of this scene is two-fold. Firstly, it debunks stereotypes about the homeless being uneducated or dumb and shows that even those without means can be learned. Secondly, it shows how Jeannette becomes influenced at a young age by the written word and is a possible explanation for her later interest in journalism. It is the parents' literary bent that ultimately saves the children, by giving them the education that allows them to escape their parents' life.

We're not poor. 121

When the Walls receive a ride from a stranger after their vehicle breaks down on the highway, Jeannette is annoyed by the tone of the woman who offers to drive them home. She is particularly put off by the woman's frequent use of the word 'poor' to describe the family. Attempting to defend the dignity of her parents and siblings, Jeannette firmly asserts that the family is not poor and the woman quickly apologizes. Following this incident, Jeannette begins to define herself apart from her and her family's situation and she refuses to accept the disdain presented to her by some members of society.

Situations like these, I realized, were what turned people into hypocrites 144

Jeannette stands up to her grandmother, Erma when she questions Jeannette's friendship with a African American classmate. When Erma gets angry, Jeannette is surprised that her parents aren't more supportive of her bravery in countering authority. Rex and Rose Mary are less concerned about Jeannette learning non-conformist practices as they are afraid that they will be kicked out of Erma's home. As a result, they chastise their daughter for angering her grandmother. After this incident, Jeannette realizes that even her parents can be forced to conform if the consequences of rebelling are severe enough.

'Oh Yeah?' I said. 'How about Hitler?What was his redeeming quality?' 'Hitler loved dogs,' Mom said without hesitation. 144

Rose Mary tries to teach Jeannette a lesson in compassion. She explains that even the worst of people have good qualities. Jeannette is frustrated with the prejudice of her grandmother towards Blacks but Rose Mary encourages Jeannette to instead find her grandmother's positive traits and understand the upbringing that indoctrinated her with such hateful ideas. She wants Jeannette to understand, not judge.

Later that night, Dad stopped the car out in the middle of the desert, and we slept under the stars. We had no pillows, but Dad said that was part of his plan. He was teaching us to have good posture. The Indians didn't use pillows, either, he explained, and look how straight they stood. We did have our scratchy army-surplus blankets, so we spread them out and lay there, looking up at the field of stars. I told Lori how lucky we were to be sleeping out under the sky like Indians. 'We could live like this forever,' I said. 'I think we're going to,' she said. 18

This passage illustrates a number of important characterizations in the memoir. Rex, is always dreaming up fantastic alternatives to reality to make life more adventurous for his children. Rex communicates serious situations as privileges and excitement. Jeannette is the only one who plays along with these fantasies of her father's. She believes the words he says, or at least, at a later age, the intent behind them. Though this is early in the memoir, already Lori shows signs of cynicism. She has already stopped believing fully in her father's fantasies and instead sees the reality of their circumstances.

Mom pointed her chopsticks at me. 'You see?' she said. 'Right there. That's exactly what I'm saying. You're way too easily embarrassed. Your father and I are who we are. Accept it.' 'And what am I supposed to tell people about my parents?' 'Just tell the truth,' Mom said. 'That's simple enough.' 5

This conversation takes place immediately before Jeannette's description of her childhood. Her mother behaves almost like a muse invoking Jeannette's story and giving her the confidence to tell it. This quote also reveals some of Jeannette's apprehensions about letting her colleagues and friends know the truth about her life growing up. Even in adulthood, she has a hard time accepting the truth of her upbringing and fears that the past will somehow damage her present happiness.

The Glass Castle Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Glass Castle is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is the family's life like in Battle Creek?

The answer to your question is readily available in GradeSaver's detailed summary and analysis for Part II of the novel.

Euphemism for getting out of town quickly.

Let's scadaddle!

What does Jeannette’s father claim he will one day find?

He says that he will find a lot of gold.

Study Guide for The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle study guide contains a biography of Jeannette Walls, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Glass Castle
• The Glass Castle Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

• Adventures First, Explanations Take Such a Dreadful Time
• The Glass Prison
• The Effect of Parenting Style on Childhood Development: A Reading of The Glass Castle
• Throwing Stones-Resilience and Forgiveness in The Glass Castle
• Alcoholism in the Walls Family

Lesson Plan for The Glass Castle

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Glass Castle
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Glass Castle Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Glass Castle

• Introduction
• Film adaptation