The Power of Perception “Just 16 percent of children who grow up in poverty manage to become economically successful adults.” (Bloomberg, 2017) The Walls children are an example of the scarce few to accomplish this feat. In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, a member of the family, she retells the story of her upbringing and escape from the clutches of poverty. Between Rex, her alcoholic father, and Rosemary, her chronically lazy mother, Jeannette and her siblings learned to be self-sufficient from a young age. They all endured abuse, neglect, and a shortage of food. In adulthood, they shared their story with the world. Brian Walls, younger brother to Jeannette and the only son, hosted a question and answer session at Yeshivah of Flatbush
…show more content…
Lori disapproves of the book because it doesn’t align with her version of events, and Rosemary admits that she didn’t even finish half the book. Although Brian and Jeannette are much closer to being on the same page when it comes to their childhood, they still remember events differently. Brian shares, “In my opinion, it was a little grimmer than it was presented.” The contrast in the way they recall their childhood illustrates the impact of time on the human memory. It is unknown the very exact story of the Walls children because when they were young, they all perceived their circumstances differently and the passage of time only increased the divide in their stories. The way events are interpreted by an individual can impact them at all stages of life and determine the way they cope with their circumstances. The Walls' children all grew up in the same conditions, but they each have their own perception of it that shaped them as individuals. Previous to the publishing of The Glass Castle, Jeannette felt very ashamed of her background and familiarity with
Lori disapproves of the book because it doesn’t align with her version of events, and Rosemary admits that she didn’t even finish half the book. Although Brian and Jeannette are much closer to being on the same page when it comes to their childhood, they still remember events differently. Brian shares, “In my opinion, it was a little grimmer than it was presented.” The contrast in the way they recall their childhood illustrates the impact of time on the human memory. It is unknown the very exact story of the Walls children because when they were young, they all perceived their circumstances differently and the passage of time only increased the divide in their stories. The way events are interpreted by an individual can impact them at all stages of life and determine the way they cope with their circumstances. The Walls' children all grew up in the same conditions, but they each have their own perception of it that shaped them as individuals. Previous to the publishing of The Glass Castle, Jeannette felt very ashamed of her background and familiarity with