The Joshua Tree

When I read the Joshua Tree Epiphany it also clicked for me as well. It is very true that when you are able to identify something by name you are also better able to identify it at a quick glance. Before these readings, I was aware of the importance of planning out your designs layout. However, the idea seemed overwhelming; I did not know where to begin, but by knowing the elements I need to look out for, like alignment and proximity, it no longer seems as daunting. Although new designers may have

Joshua Tree National Park proves the desert stereotype of being empty and lifeless entirely wrong. It is the complete opposite, as a matter of fact, it provides various species of animals, unique rock formations, plenty of hiking trails, the beautiful Joshua Tree itself, etc. It also provides solitude, silence, and captivating skies. This distinct desert land located in Southern California with an area of 1,234 mi², was officially named a national monument by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in

was wondering if that color was caused by clay in the stream or mixed with metal. I also saw some trees that had obviously been in a fire, but now have some green at the top of the tree. I believe that the parts that were green are part of the tree that is still alive and healthy compared to the dead part of the tree. The nature walk made me interested in nature and made me want to learn more.

Californian desert the Walls family comes across a Joshua tree. The tree grew despite the whipping wind and scorching heat of the desert. Walls mother, Rose Mary thought the tree was beautiful because of the struggle to grow. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it it’s beauty" (Walls 38).  The Joshua tree symbolizes the struggle to grow in the midst of chaos.  Walls struggles helped her to become self-reliant, strong, resilient, and unique. Walls and the tree are great examples of the unique beauty

and fifty stars were assembled to symbolize a land of the free. Symbols tend to have immenseful impacts on the lives of those they relate to. As for Jeannette Walls and her family, prominent motifs, namely the Glass Castle, New York City and a Joshua tree implicate strong faith in her father, rising up from vast dysfunction and a rebirth for not only herself, but her siblings as well. In her highly acclaimed memoir The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls utilizes striking symbols to hook her readers as

to make her life happy. It stands to mention that the novel is full of symbols which contribute to reader's understanding of Jeanette's character and represent her most important traits and desires. Besides, all the symbols such as the fire, the Joshua tree, the geode and the glass castle are recurring and contribute to understanding the struggle of Jeanette's childhood, her ability to overcome it and build a successful life. Fire is an important symbol in the novel as it occurs frequently there.

Walls reasoning behind this could have been that she did not want to be defined by the difficulties she overcame in order to get to where she was. Akin to the joshua tree the author sees in the beginning pages of the book, Walls may have seen something wrong with showing the struggle she endured, just the same way she did when she saw the tree for the first time. It takes a lot of strength to stand up for yourself in any ordinary situation, but when being talked down to, it is even more difficult

1. “…and when she looked up, I was overcome with panic that she’d see me and call out my name…and my secret would be out” (3). Jeannette’s thoughts are revealed in this quote about being associated with her mother, who is homeless. While in a taxi on the way to an upscale party, she spots her mother digging through garbage on the streets of New York City. Her “secret” that she fears colleagues will find out about foreshadows the fact that she was once homeless and poverty-stricken, just like her

again. While pregnant, Mom draws paintings of Joshua trees. The Joshua tree itself is such a strong symbol for survival. Walls wants to plant a Joshua tree to keep it from the wind, but Mom simply tells her that it needs wind to survive. The Joshua tree, used like a metaphor, adds to the metaphor of the cactus the reader came across earlier. The Joshua tree has bent and twisted limbs from years of surviving in the desert, yet the roots of the tree are strong and hold it upright almost effortlessly

The Glass Castle is a memoir of Jeannette Walls’ experience and her tempestuous upbringing. Her father was a charismatic and intelligent man, but when he drank he was dishonest and couldn’t hold a job. Their mother was a free spirit who felt confined by the responsibilities of motherhood, and sought refuge in her blind optimism. Without steady parental figures, Jeannette and her siblings turned to each other for support. Eventually, they made their way to New York to build lives for themselves. Their