The Glass Castel
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Jeannette walls
The Glass Castle
SECTION ONE- 4 POINTS EACH
1.) Characters:
Jeannette Walls – The author and main character of this memoir, the second oldest child. She depicts an unfit life, growing up in poverty and living off a nomadic adventure. It is very hard for Jeannette to find herself with family around. She combines hope and imagination that children find in small and large situations, growing adversity into many dreams
Rex Walls – The father in the story. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his childrens imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. By enhancing his kids imagination, he grabs alcoholism as a tool to persuade his kids that it was going to be a high-minded life. However, his alcoholism leads him in to disownment and lies.
Rose Mary Walls – Rose Mary, who painted and writes and couldnt stand the responsibility of providing for her family, calling herself an “excitement addict.” Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever. Some parts make you think that she is an unfit mother and then there are parts when she is the greatest mother in the world.
Brian Walls – The second youngest in the family. He stood by Jeannette and has a lot of courage. Jeannette and him have become close friends. There are parts in the book where Brian always took care of Jeannette that makes you want to tear up. Such as he time they had no lunch money, he and Jeannette would tell everyone they had to study or do homework.
Lori Walls – The oldest sister in the family. She is like the second mother of Jeannette. Lori is smart, intelligent, and stubborn at moments. She cannot deal with her father alcohol abuse and her mothers laziness so by the time she was old enough she finds herself moving to New York city.
Maureen Walls – The youngest in the family. She doesnt remember when they all lived in California so her dreams are of moving there. At time when situation get though such as food shortage, She runs to the neighbors houses to eat while her brother and sisters are starving. Maureen does not understand discipline and learn to rebel more easier than Lori, Jeannette and Brian. In the end Jeannette blames her self for Maureen rebellion because when she was young Jeannette promised her a warm meal and a warm place to live but now as a poverty stricken child she can not give that to her younger sister.
2.) Protagonist:
The protagonist in The Glass Castle is Jeannette Walls. The book is a memoir of a childs life that has the worst house, worst parents, and has to deal with food and financial problems. Throughout the story Jeannette never says she is regretting her life. I think that these positive thoughts had influenced her to write this novel. Her beautiful book The glass castle are constant memories of many good and bad times with her family. Based on her entire life, Jeannette pursues a dream of being a writer and journalist. She overcomes obstacles at a young age and having to deal with starvation and living off trash in a near by alley. She never ask for any material item. Her parents always taught her the act of humbleness and obedience towards others. Though Jeannette life is more interesting in her childhood experiences, readers find that it can be related to their lives as well in her teen years and throughout adulthood. The novel is filled with tears. In many cases because of the past and her constant struggle to survive and still find the courage to remain one separate person in her family. Jeannette tries to avoid any mishaps but find that she feels its her fault for the misfortunes. I think that at a young age Jeannette should have never felt guilt or any remorse for her parents problems.
3.) Antagonist:
The antagonist in the story is Jeannettes parents. Despite never having financial stability or never having an overstock fridge, Jeannette seems that she has no resentment for her parents never ending lies and trick or even having a stable job. It scares me to think of ever having parent such as them. In cases like this, Jeannette sought to find a way out. Sometimes even when things go wrong she either blames herself but in someway Jeannette has no point of ever lying to her parents when everything goes wrong because things end up getting worst than when it started. Rose Mary has a constant struggle of having a break as an artist. “She acts like a child” say Jeannette. When Lori was moving to New York Rose Mary was crying, not because Lori was leaving but because she was going to have a life in a big city where as in Welch, West Virginia Rose Mary can not make money off her painting says, “Its not fair that Lori gets to leave.” This proves their mothers immaturity. Rex Walls is an alcoholic and uses Jeannette for the only person in the family that would side with him when things go wrong. Such as the time he brought Jeannette to a bar when she was 14 and almost raped by a gambler. It makes you think that these parents were unfit but really they shaped their kids into having the belief anything is possible.
4.) Narrator:
The Narrator of The Glass Castle is Jeannette walls. The author and main charter shows readers the worst possible childhood. It is another persons view of a poverty stricken child. The story is a view on life alone. Throughout Jeannette life it becomes more clear to understand to draw your own conclusions at the end. The novel is a tearful blessing that when read it can be related to many people lives. An example was when she hid right before lunch in the bathroom and dug out scrapes from other peoples trash in the garbage can and found that this life was a breaking point where she has to deal with starvation and deprived from any material obsessions.
5.) Plot Summary:
Exposition – The Glass Castle begins as Jeannette is in a taxi across mid-town Manhattan. She comes across high-collared people and finds her mother searching threw the garbage dump. When her mother sees a glimpse of her, Jeannette hides back in the taxi and drives off. Regretting what had happen that afternoon, she invites her mother to meet her at a restaurant. There the story is twisted back in time, all the way back to the past to her future.
Rising action -She jumps right in, opening Chapter 2 with a chilling quote: “I was on fire.”