3 Important Quotes: * “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”(Walls 34). 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. * “We're not poor” (Walls 121). Following this incident, Jeannette begins to define herself apart from her and her family's situation. * “Situations like these, I realized, were what turned people into hypocrites” (Walls 144). Jeannette realizes that even her parents can be forced to conform if the consequences of rebelling are severe enough.
3 Important Facts: * As a child she is adventurous, wild-hearted, and Dad's favorite. * She resents Dad's drinking and how he constantly lets her and the rest of the family down yet never openly admits it or allows his flaws to be discussed. * Jeannette also resents Mom's refusal to hold down a job long enough to provide her kids with a stable food supply.
2 Relationships: * Dad (Rex): He is an independent thinker, to the point that he is paranoid of the U.S. government and sees conspiracies in almost any organized system. Fatherhood troubles him because he is driven by certain ideals regarding his role as head of the family. The pressure he feels to be a good father figure is countered with his alcohol addiction. Thus, explains Jeanette’s circumstances. * Mom (Rose Mary Walls): Mom is a free spirit, who also values self-sufficiency. Mom resents her children because she sees them as standing between her and her dream life of a bohemian artist. Thus, explains Jeanette’s circumstances.
3 Conflicts: * Throughout the book,