As a child, Walls' parents chose an alternative lifestyle which they saw as beneficial, but in reality subjected their children to abuse, neglect and extreme poverty. The children had a sad and independent childhood with their parents, who often tended to their needs over their children. In The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls writes of how as a young adult she pulled herself out of the unhealthy lifestyle of her parents, and managed to make something of herself. In The Glass Castle, Rex and Rosemary are not the ideal American parents, but they would be considered effective. They would be considered effective because they taught their children to stand up for themselves, independent, supportive and supportive and always there for each other.
One of the effects that the Wall’s parents had on their children was teaching them to stand up for themselves. “The mattress shot forward, and our arsenal of rocks flew through the air. I heard them thud against Ernie’s body and clatter on the road. He screamed and cursed as his bike skidded” (166). When Brian and Jeannette go against the neighborhood bullies they show that they may not have money or what other families have but they are clever. They demonstrate their cleverness by creating their own catapult to stop Ernie Goad and his friends. To sum it all up, Jeannette and Brian learn to stand up for themselves by being a team.
The second effect that the Wall’s parents had on their children was teaching them to become independent. “I was afraid that Mr. Becker wouldn’t give me the job if he knew I was only thirteen, so I told him I was seventeen. He hired me on the spot for forty dollars a week, in cash” (215). Jeannette took care of her family, of her dad when he was drunk, of her mom when was in need of help, and of her sisters and her brother when they felt like giving up. When times were really rough, Jeannette and her siblings all had to look for jobs to provide food for themselves. To sum it all up, independence is something that all the Walls kids had to live by.
The last effect that the Walls parents had on their children was teaching them to be supportive and always there for each other. “At lunch Brian and I stay together in the cafeteria. I was pretending to help him with his homework so no one would ask us why we weren’t eating” (78). Due to their parents not working the children could not afford to pay for school lunches. As an outcome after lunch they would go through the garbage looking for spare food to satisfy their hunger. To sum it all up, the Walls kids learned to have each other’s back during throughout their childhood experience.
In conclusion, Rex and Rosemary would be considered effective because they taught their children to stand up for themselves, become independent, supportive and always there for each other. The Walls children started out in poverty. Most children who start in poverty usually end in poverty. However, Jeannette, Brian and Lori ended up becoming something out of nothing. Throughout the book Rex and Rosemary Walls, who were moderately irresponsible and immature, managed to prove they loved their children by never abandoning them and teaching skills they would later need in life.