Jessica Lipchak
Dr. Raeff
Developmental Psychology
02 November 2012
HOW Did Maureen Develop Differently from Her Siblings?

The Glass Castle is a captivating and heart wrenching memoir about the upbringing of a poor and highly dysfunctional family. The author, Jeannette Walls, entertains her readers by sharing the childhood memories of struggle her and her three siblings faced while being raised by their irresponsible and unreliable parents. Towards the end of the book, Jeannette and her siblings decide to move out of Welch, a depressive and poverty stricken town in West Virginia, to start lives for themselves in the city of New York. It is there where they all succeed on paths of their own, except for the youngest child, Maureen, who ends up being sent to rehab after stabbing her mother over an argument. Maureen’s developmental differences can be determined by analyzing and comparing cultural, social, and individual factors between her and her siblings.
Culturally speaking, people are influenced all the time. From the rules people follow to the morals they live by, typical patterns of behavior reflect beliefs and values. No two cultures are the same. Therefore, people raised in different areas tend to experience different economic factors and demographic issues which influence opinions on values. In Maureen’s case, most of her childhood was spent in Welsh, where life was very hard for her family. Due to the fact their house was in shackles and garbage littered their front lawn, many of their neighbors, although poor and with little respect for their own selves, immediately looked down upon the Walls family. The hatred and disgust lead to many fights between the Walls children and other kids. Being that, “whatever the reason, it seemed that just about everyone in Welsh-men, women, boys, girls- liked to fight” this cultural acceptance of such barbarian behavior allowed Maureen to believe that fighting was a good way to handle problems. This cultural factor could be what influenced Maureen to stab her mother during an argument when she was much older. Along with the hostile behaviors, the town was at the “starvation-level” of poverty which casted a negative outlook on life through the whole community. Maureen and her siblings had to fend for themselves when it came to eating. Growing up with the lack of essential needs, like food and proper shelter due to their family’s economic state put a lot of stress on the children for survival. With little cultural values to improve people’s own lives, it would be hard for Maureen to not form a sense of hopelessness. Since many of Maureen’s memorable childhood years were spent in such a state of despair and hard times, the cultural views she became accustomed to were different compared to her older siblings who had at least been able to remember the happier times they spent in the desert before moving to Welsh.
Along with cultural aspects of life, social interactions have a lot to do with how people develop. In regards to the developmental domain of identity, Psychologist Erik Erikson states, it is the lifelong process of defining oneself as an individual and in relationship to others. Maureen’s inability to form strong bonds within her family corresponds with the relationships she later holds, or doesn’t hold, throughout her life. Short after moving to Welsh, Maureen was scared out of their home by an intruding river rat which forced her to use every excuse she could to spend the night at friends’ houses. In correspondence to her absence in the house, the age gap between her and her siblings also played a big role in her separation. This separation pushed Maureen to depend more on her friends and their families. Although the book never does go into much detail about her friends or the type of people Maureen associated with, because she spent less time with her family and had different influences, her social interactions changed from those of her siblings. Due to the age difference and the dependency on friends, Maureen’s social experiences played a significant role in how she identified herself in relation to others.
Last, but not least, individual factors; which in my opinion are the most influential in development. Involving the decisions we make, the degree to which we apply ourselves, and the attitude we have towards the world are all considered to be our own choices have impeding effects on the outcomes of our lives. Individuality is the distinction that determines us from one another. By comparing Maureen’s decisions and out looks on life, you can very clearly see how she ended up where she did. After graduating high school, Maureen enrolled in a city college, but as Jeannette puts it, “she never really applied herself”. Lacking the initiative to pursue in anything can cause role confusion. Due to the fact that Maureen’s life lacked substantial experimentation and proper evaluation, she was never able to commit to any specific role in life. The feelings of confusion and uselessness, expected by her sister, led to the use of drugs. In such a severe case as Maureen’s, intervention was needed to safe her from her destructive habits.
Culture, socialization, and individual choices all effect how a person develops. People share and disagree on morals, behaviors, and attitudes all throughout the country. These interrelated and multiple parts are what differs and unites the human race. Although the Walls children experience many of the same battles while growing up, it is possible to analyze cultural, social, and individual factors when determining how their lives ended up differently. Maureen was the youngest child, which put her at a disadvantage. The negative atmosphere where she spent the majority of her childhood, the disconnected relationship she had with her family, and her lack of self-motivation critically impeded the opportunity she had to become a successful adult.