The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

Anjum Suchita 811

The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls (REVISED)

                As most kids mature, they lose their innocent and naïve qualities. As they transform from youth to adulthood, they become independent. Many stop relying on their parents to help them and some even go off on their own. The memoir, “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls is about Jeannette growing up as a nomad and struggling with bullying, a drunken father, an immature mother, and rape. Her attitude changes from being naïve to experienced because in the beginning of the book, Jeannette believed everything her father told her but as the book progressed, she realized her father was not capable of speaking the truth.

      In the beginning of the book, Jeannette is young and doesn’t realize that her father is constantly lying to her. When Jeannette was three years old, she was severely burnt while boiling hot dogs. She was at the hospital for six weeks when her father came to take her home. On page 14 her father is at the hospital, “...Dad appeared alone in the doorway of my room. He told me we were going to check out, Rex – Walls style. ‘Are you sure this is okay?’ I asked.” Jeannette questioned his statement but he told her to trust him. They fled and he avoided paying the bill once again. This quote shows how Jeannette’s father does not tell her the truth. She attempted to figure out what the correct behavior would be, but her father forced to her to believe him. Jeannette is naïve in this passage because she trusted her father even though he was lying to her.

      Throughout her childhood, Jeannette’s father promised her that he would build her a Glass Castle, and she believed him. When their family moved to her father’s old town, he bought a cheap piece of land. There he took his blueprints for The Glass Castle and on page 155 he told Jeannette his plan to build a foundation, “Dad had showed me the spot near the house where we were going to put the foundation and basement for the Glass Castle. I found a shovel and a pickax and spent about every free minute digging a hole. It was hard work, but after a month I had dug a hole deep enough to disappear in. But since we couldn’t afford to pay the town’s trash collection fee, our garbage was really piling up. One day Dad told me to dump it in the hole.” This quote shows how Jeannette had faith in their father, but he let her down and took advantage of her. Jeannette knew her father wouldn’t have lived up to his promise, but she didn’t know how he would break it. At this point of her life, she was less naïve and had learned that her father used her to solve his own problems, like not being able to afford the garbage pick-up. She decided it was time for her to create some distance between them.   

      When Jeannette was almost an adult, she moved to New York and lived with her older sister. Before she left, on page 238 her dad was telling her about his Glass Castle plans. She replied, “Go ahead and build the Glass Castle, but don’t do it for me.” This line of dialogue depicts the change Jeannette went through over the years. She started by believing everything her father said to her, but as she aged, she realized that her father invented things to feel important and better about himself. Finally, Jeannette understood that she needed to move away and start a new life without him.

      Jeannette learns to stop believing her father. She continues loving him, but she knows that she doesn’t need to believe in his false commitments to live. He disappointed her many times, and he took advantage of her more than once. The reader will empathize for Jeannette through all of her experiences. The book “The Glass Castle” shows readers how children grow and develop into adults.

ORIGINAL: Everyone likes to be protected and cared for, especially children. But, what if your parents don’t have that parental quality that makes you feel reassured and safe? What if they lead you on to ideas and give false promises? What if they expect you to take care of yourself instead of them caring for you? Jeannette Walls writes about her time growing up with parents that don’t protect her, make her feel safe, or care for her. In her memoir, “The Glass Castle” she writes from her point of view and the interesting part is that as her character grows, her point of view also matures and becomes less naïve.  Throughout the book, Jeannette has the most faith in her father from the rest of her family members. He tells her things that aren’t going to happen and he makes poor conditions seem much better. He also believes that putting children through very tough times is the only way to help them mature. In the beginning, Jeannette believes everything and denies her father’s bad qualities, but as the book progresses, so does she and towards the end she stops believing everything he says.

     In the beginning of the book, Jeannette is still a toddler, 3 years old, and severely burns herself while boiling hot dogs. Her mother finds her daughter standing in shock while flames spread from her leg to her face. After throwing a blanket on Jeannette to suffocate the fire, she takes her to the hospital. Jeannette spent six weeks in the hospital until her dad snuck them out because he didn’t believe in doctors and modern medicine.  He tells her this but really he is avoiding government officials and paying bills. But, young and naïve Jeannette believes that as he says, doctors are bad and you have to be strong without them.

     Throughout her childhood, Jeannette’s father promises her that he will build her a glass castle. When their family moves to her father’s old town, he buys a cheap piece of land. There he takes his blueprints for The Glass Castle and tells Jeannette that they need to build a foundation. Since Jeannette was a young adult then, she didn’t fully believe that her poor, drunken father would build her a castle. But, she still had faith in her father and dug the foundation hole. After the foundation hole was dug, her father made excuses to stall the building of The Glass Castle. Slowly, the hole filled with garbage because their family couldn’t afford the weekly garbage pickup.  Jeannette knew her father wouldn’t have lived up to his promise, but didn’t know how he would break it. She was slowly starting to become less naïve and learned that her father was taking advantage of her.

     When Jeannette was almost an adult, she planned to move to New York and live with her sister. Before she left, on page 238 her dad was telling her about his Glass Castle plans. She replied, “Go ahead and build the Glass Castle, but don’t do it for me.” This line of dialogue depicts the change Jeannette went through over the years. She started by believing everything her father said to her, but as she aged, she realized that her father invented things to feel important and better about himself. Finally, Jeannette understood that she needed to move away and start a new life without him.

     By the end of the book, when Jeannette became more aware and experienced of the world, she learned that her father made unreal promises. As people age, they learn both the bad and the good things of life. At first, Jeannette didn’t know what was bad about her own father, but as she became more experienced of him letting her down, she learned not to become excited about his “commitments”. More than once he disappointed her and she understood that both her father and her life were made that way and she had no choice but to live with it. “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls has many great characteristics, and one is that the narrator changes in the best way throughout the book.