...Book Report on Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 1 Book Report on Jeannette Wall’s Glass Castle Book Report on Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 2 Jeannette Walls's story is one that gives the reader an idea of what it is like to grow up in a very complex and often self-destructive family system. Jeannette Walls's memoir Glass Castle begins with her riding in a taxi through contemporary New York City on her way to a party. As she looks out the taxi window, Jeannette sees her mother digging through a dumpster. Even though her mother had been homeless for years, Jeannette was all of a sudden filled with shame and gloom about her mother's life. Jeannette then begins to reflect on her childhood and how her Mom and Dad's choices affected her. The story then transitions to a three-year-old Jeannette and her story of catching her dress on fire while cooking her dinner. After a few days in the hospital, Jeannette's father shows up, lifts Jeannette out of bed, and leaves the hospital without paying the bill. The memoir continues with the family moving town to town in the American Southwest. Only staying in one place until Jeannette's father could no longer hold a job, or her mother demanding they spontaneously uproot and start again. Jeannette's father's paranoia about the state and organized society, coupled with his alcoholism, leads them to move more and more frequently. Finally, they settle down in a small mining town, Battle Mountain, Nevada, for a few months; where Jeannette enjoys...
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...reading Jeannette Walls’ memoir, “The Glass Castle”, it became clear that there were many repetitive factors that shaped the Walls family’s lives. There are numerous accounts of sexual abuse, parental alcoholism, evidence of mental illness and finally poverty in the form of homelessness. For even when the children prospered the parents choose to be homeless. The question is, are these factors relative? Can it be that childhood sexual abuse can inflict mental illness or alcoholism in adulthood? Does mental illness and alcoholism affect the chances of being homeless? The focus of this essay is to provide evidence that the events in Walls own life, documented in her memoir, have a butterfly effect in the outcome of their parent’s lives. In Her memoir Walls documents several cases of sexual abuse during her and her sibling’s childhood. She writes of her own experiences with Billy Deel, although he is only a minor as well, he sexually assaults her during a game of hide and seek. PAGE 85-87 Afterward Jeanette was reluctant to tell her father, “I had a feeling it would cause problems” (Walls 87) The second assault Walls documents, was when she was nine years old. “I was awakened by someone running his hands over my private parts.” “‘I just want to play a game with you’ a man’s voice said.” The next day when they told their father, “he said he was going to kill that low life…” Although, no serious action was taken to find him or prevent it from happening again. (Walls 103) The third...
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...The Walls family throughout The Glass Castle faced a wide variety of problems that helped establish the ominous, problematic, and somber tone of the story. First, the family faced many economic hardships which made it difficult for them to establish a stable life. Also, the two parents, Rex and Rose-Mary Walls had many unacceptable and unbreakable habits which did not help the family progress with their poverty. Finally, Jeannette Walls had many personal struggles and development in her life that helped contribute to the emotion evoked in the memoir, especially in the latter parts. As a result of the family’s poverty, the parent’s habitual issues, and Jeannette’s growth as a person overall establish the darker and depressing tone of the story....
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...The Glass Castle has been a great memoir to allow readers to make sense of what Jeannette Walls had gone through as little girl on the many journeys with her family and with herself. It addresses the many social issues such as: neglect, sexual abuse, homelessness, unsanitary conditions, and alcohol abuse. In this memoir we are able to see a glimpse of how Rex and Rosemary Walls choose to educate their children to see the better side of their daily hardships. To show that no matter what nature throws at us we can handle it. Rex and Rosemary Walls may not have been the best parents however they were able to turn their children into well-educated adults. They were able to accomplish this by ensuring them that they loved them and would never fail them. Also by finding creative ways to teach them important life lessons. Like to learn how to face your fears and what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Although many people would not necessarily agree with the manner these parents educated their children we can certainly accept the fact that most of the children gained exceptional values that otherwise may have not been learned. The positive effects of the Walls parents parenting skills were; their children learned important values, they learned what it means to stand by each other, and they gained the importance of having something to inspire them to a great future. The Walls children learned important values like humility, loyalty, forgiveness, and appreciation. These young...
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...Neglect or Abuse Throughout the book, The Glass Castle, Rex and Mary Walls showcased their unconventional parenting style. Jeannette Walls, the author of the book and a child of Rex and Mary, gave her opinion on her parents and showed what is was like to be a Walls child. Rex, an alcoholic, didn’t like answering to anyone and felt as though he was a great provider for his family. Mary didn’t want to do what was necessary for her family and had very selfish views of the world. The way that they parented was very neglectful, but it was not close to abuse. Rex and Mary didn’t provide for their children like they should’ve, but they taught their children important values and skills. Rex Walls was an alcoholic man that exaggerated many parts of his life to feel better about himself and impress his children. An example of this is...
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