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Examples Of Self Sufficiency In The Glass Castle

Decent Essays

Perhaps the most prominent theme of the novel, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls is the idea of self-sufficiency. Starting from the early beginnings of their childhood, the Walls children were left to survive by their parents in almost every legal (and, in some cases, illegal) circumstance. Even as times grew tough along the way, the Walls parents still believed that the idea of being self-sufficient was more valuable than any other characteristic in facing the real world, and this philosophy played a major role in determining the outcome of the novel. The parents of the Walls children, Rex and Rose Mary, began their life of extreme self-sufficiency even before their children were born. Rex, coming from a relatively unfortunate home life, …show more content…

While they may have been convinced their own provided rations were enough on which to survive, the majority of their lives were spent well below the poverty line. To make up for their lack of physical belongings, the Walls parents resorted to provisional beliefs and values, e.g. pride in not taking charity and being eccentric. Still, while the idea of raising children on principles of self-reliance is not uncommon, Rose Mary and Rex seem to take the method to an extreme level; the fine line between self-reliance and a carelessness for the needs of others is often …show more content…

First, the way Jeannette and her siblings prevailed over an unfortunate childhood proves that any obstacle in life is conquerable with the right mindset and amount of work. I have learned that life is short, yet it is also long enough to be worth overcoming any setback that it might entail. On the other hand, the way Rex and Rose Mary apply self-sufficiency in bringing up their children gives me a new and more cautious outlook on the limited extents of self-independence. While I definitely believe it is important to be able to rely on myself, I now understand that everyone needs help from others from time to time. The point at which self-sufficiency overcomes the extent of human interaction in society is seriously overdone; a balance between the two I believe is more beneficial towards a genuinely healthy

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