The Glass Castle
Although Rex and Rose Mary Walls struggled to provide a stable household for their children, they taught them many important life lessons throughout their constant crazy adventures together. For example, Rex taught Jeanette that material things don’t really matter. He shows this by taking her alone to the desert and giving her a star for christmas. Even though Jeanette knew he was only doing this because he didn’t have any money, she enjoyed this moment alone with her dad. But later in the novel after her father passes away, she looks up to the sky and sees the star she picked out when she was a kid. I’m sure deep down five year old Jeanette would have loved to receive any plastic toy like any of her classmates probably did. …show more content…
Poverty, sexual abuse, and harsh bullying were all adversities she had to face throughout her childhood. Her parents taught her how to be strong, even when they failed to be there for their children. Jeanette 's father once said to her, “That was the thing to remember about all monsters, Dad said: They love to frighten people, but the minute you stare them down, they turn tail and run” (Walls 37). Rex actually put his theory to the test and took her to the zoo. There, he went into the cheetah cage at the zoo to prove to his family that, “no animal, no matter big or wild, is dangerous as long as you know what you’re doing.” Jeanette took this experience and used it to her advantage. She was faced with situations that made her uncomfortable, like when a boy named Robbie took her to the upstairs of the bar with him. Instead of screaming or hitting him, she showed him her scar, which she knew would make her look undesirable. She tried not to show fear, and looked him straight in the eyes, just like her dad had taught her to when she was younger. The Walls valued emotional strength and certainly did not raise and weak …show more content…
They would look at every new house as a new adventure, which made their situation seem more inviting and less daunting. Even if they were starving,freezing or did not have a penny in their pockets, they all had the mentality of “it could be worse.” Even in a house with no water or electricity Rose Mary still told her kids that they should be grateful. “Count your blessings,’ Mom said. “There are people in Ethiopia that would kill for a place like this” (Walls 151). This shows that the Walls family value their few possessions and are truly grateful for everything they have, no matter how big or
Although Rex and Rose Mary Walls struggled to provide a stable household for their children, they taught them many important life lessons throughout their constant crazy adventures together. For example, Rex taught Jeanette that material things don’t really matter. He shows this by taking her alone to the desert and giving her a star for christmas. Even though Jeanette knew he was only doing this because he didn’t have any money, she enjoyed this moment alone with her dad. But later in the novel after her father passes away, she looks up to the sky and sees the star she picked out when she was a kid. I’m sure deep down five year old Jeanette would have loved to receive any plastic toy like any of her classmates probably did. …show more content…
Poverty, sexual abuse, and harsh bullying were all adversities she had to face throughout her childhood. Her parents taught her how to be strong, even when they failed to be there for their children. Jeanette 's father once said to her, “That was the thing to remember about all monsters, Dad said: They love to frighten people, but the minute you stare them down, they turn tail and run” (Walls 37). Rex actually put his theory to the test and took her to the zoo. There, he went into the cheetah cage at the zoo to prove to his family that, “no animal, no matter big or wild, is dangerous as long as you know what you’re doing.” Jeanette took this experience and used it to her advantage. She was faced with situations that made her uncomfortable, like when a boy named Robbie took her to the upstairs of the bar with him. Instead of screaming or hitting him, she showed him her scar, which she knew would make her look undesirable. She tried not to show fear, and looked him straight in the eyes, just like her dad had taught her to when she was younger. The Walls valued emotional strength and certainly did not raise and weak …show more content…
They would look at every new house as a new adventure, which made their situation seem more inviting and less daunting. Even if they were starving,freezing or did not have a penny in their pockets, they all had the mentality of “it could be worse.” Even in a house with no water or electricity Rose Mary still told her kids that they should be grateful. “Count your blessings,’ Mom said. “There are people in Ethiopia that would kill for a place like this” (Walls 151). This shows that the Walls family value their few possessions and are truly grateful for everything they have, no matter how big or