The Glass Castle By Jeanette Walls Essay Topics

Lucas Hahn Ms. Branda American Literature 12 April 2024 Title of the Essay Jeanette Walls, an accomplished journalist, tells a tale of resilience and her chaotic upbringing in her memoir, The Glass Castle. Walls’ memoirs take place in various places throughout the United States. From a young age, she and her siblings were promised a glass castle built in a desert by her alcoholic father. It was a frivolous notion, knowing that both her parents were negligent in their parental responsibilities. Jeanette’s father, Rex, was an educated and articulate alcoholic who squandered their family finances on alcohol, and her mother, Rose Mary, was an artist who was so self-absorbed that she taught her children to become independent at a very young …show more content…

Rex’s tale is one of continuously trying to control his alcohol problems. Rex knows his addiction is robbing the family of the financial security and quality of life they deserve, but he is unable and unwilling to stop. It was Jeanette’s 10th birthday, and normally they do nothing for birthdays, but this time Rex had asked Jeanette if there was anything she truly wanted. In response, she asked Rex if he could stop drinking. “‘Do you think you could maybe stop drinking?’... In the morning, Dad told me that for the next few days, he was going to keep himself in his bedroom. He wanted us kids to steer clear of him, to stay outside all day, and to play. Everything went fine on the first day. On the second day, when I came home from school, I heard a terrible groaning coming from the bedroom. I didn't feel like celebrating. After all he'd put himself through, I couldn't believe Dad had gone back to the booze. With Dad drinking again and no money coming in, Mom began to talk about moving east to West Virginia, where Dad's parents lived” (Walls 116–123). This shows resilience because she can no longer rely on her father and can't trust his word. This is because, though he said he was going to stop drinking for her, he actually never really did. His meager, one-day attempt left Jeanette dissatisfied with her father. As time goes on, we see Jeanette and her siblings accept that their father, Rex, isn't …show more content…

Jannette recounts countless tales of neglect, including the one where she and her siblings were made to sit in the back of the U-Haul and almost lost Brian. In addition to that, her father’s endless conflict with alcoholism had profoundly impacted the entire Walls family, frequently leaving the children with little to no food for days on end. Meanwhile, their mother, who always prioritized her desires over her children's, demonstrated this when she chose to keep a diamond ring for her self-esteem as opposed to meeting the basic needs of her family. Despite all of the challenges the children faced during their childhood, they managed to overcome them and become successful in their own lives while not harboring any resentment towards their parents. In actuality, they felt sorry for their parents and forgave them for all the wrongdoing they endured in their childhood. Who would have thought that their hardships would be the foundation of their future