A common theme throughout the memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, is that of balance between turbulence and order. It is spoken about by the characters in the story, and is alluded to throughout the entire plot, as well as through the setting. Rex references it with the fire, it is brought up when Rex starts drinking, and is mentioned again at the end of the book. Rex first talks about the balance between turbulence and order when Brian and Jeanette almost die in the fire they started when…
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September 2016 The Glass Castle Reading Reflection Background Information: The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls. The author’s purpose in writing this novel was to give a recounting of her life, but in a way that was not accusatory nor dark. It was also written in order to show others that it is possible to grow successfully even from a dysfunctional childhood. The story begins recounting the life of a young girl and her family. From the time she is born, Jeannette and her family move…
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distinctive symbol is the title, The Glass Castle, which can also be seen as a motif as it is brought up numerous times throughout the memoir. The Glass Castle is merely an illusion introduced to the Walls children by their father, Rex. The project included floor plans and blueprints of a castle entirely made of glass and dependent on solar panels for electricity. At a young and naïve age, the Walls children’s innocence led them to believe their father would built The Glass Castle. Often times, it seemed Rex…
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The Glass Castle The Glass Castle, written by Jeannette Walls, is an autobiographical novel that shows how hard life can be when you have little to no money and highly deteriorated parents. During the whole memoir it shows how hard it is to live in poverty while at the same time trying to raise a family. The exposition of the novel is how having parents that cannot support their children because the lack of a stable income. The rising action is when Jeannette was in a taxi cab going to a party…
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The Glass Castle is a novel written by Jeannette Walls, which chronicles her childhood. The purpose of her autobiographical memoir is to confront the effects of substandard parenting, and how it impacts children’s relationships and their own self-regard. It is to also combat injustice in and out of the home, and how to live with it and grow past it afterwards. The novel begins with Jeannette as an adult, sitting in a taxi when she sees her mom digging through trash. She realizes her shame for her…
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or within yourself, recognizing and acknowledging its existence allows people to confront its unwavering presence. Characters from the literary works of The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, experience the unrelenting presence of evil, as it is a prevalent theme seen throughout the books. In all three novels, the presence of evil arises in the form of society's dysfunction, where the characters must learn that there…
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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 1. At the start of the memoir Jeannette persuades her mother about taking help from her during dinner at a Chinese restaurant by saying, "I'm not rich, but I have some money. Tell me what it is you need” (Walls 4), as both of her parents were homeless living on the streets of New York. The above statement foreshadows into the future of the Wall’s family of how the parents became homeless and Jeannette was living in a very nice apartment with her husband. The statement…
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In “The Glass Castle,” the theme of the novel is to portray that hardships are necessary to assist in our growth, development, and success. The theme is developed by revealing the point of view of a girl who’s life was sufficient for her to live as a child. But once difficulties began to reign in her life it reveals how it had affected her life at such a young age till adulthood. From the beginning of the story, her perspective of life had changed dramatically. Not only has it expanded to new things…
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In The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls uses detailed conflict and complex characterization as well as a sequential first person narration to develop plot, theme, and voice. Throughout the novel there is an ongoing theme of perseverance. When Lori says “I think we’re going to” in response to Jeannette, the idea of determination first appears. She also begins the novel with her current state of living, which is healthy and safe, then carries into how life used to be for her. Moreover, sleeping under…
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Flies, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Glass Castle they illustrate the journey of childhood innocence to maturity, showing the challenges faced, and shows the way they go from young kids to grown children as they have to experience the people within the society and their judgment, and the problems in the real world. In the 3 books it shows the characters growing up and facing reality. The Glass Castle In “The Glass Castle,” childhood innocence is shown in Jeannette as she is innocent and doesn’t realize…
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