06.07.07
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
(Mature Reader)
Jeannette Walls, now a freelance writer, writes of the poverty, hunger, jokes, and bullying that she and her siblings endured while growing up. Her mother, unwilling to assume the responsibilities of parenting, and her father, an alcoholic, taught their children to fend for themselves.
Eryn VHS said,
June 14, 2007 at 10:39 am
This was a very interesting and moving read. However, I was not able to be as patient with her parents as Jeannette was. It shows great strength of character that she was able to maintain her good grades, work ethic, and optimism throughout her life.
Kris S. @ AHS said,
June 15, 2007 at 10:58 am
I’m reading this book right now, and as troubling as it is to read, it is compelling also. I am appalled at the way the parents parented their children and applaud Jeannette and her siblings for growing up so well despite their parents’ dereliction of duty.
Lauren VHS said,
November 15, 2007 at 2:27 pm
This book was a bit difficult for me, partially because it is an autobiography. I feel that the “Glass Castle” symbolizes the success and happiness that Jeannette and her father both long for. It seems as though her father will never build it because he can never seem to get his life together, and off of the streets.
Melissa 2 VHS said,
November 26, 2007 at 1:45 pm
This book was, to me, very good. Though I believe Jeannette should have at least gone against somethings her parents has done, there was still the fact that they try to protect Jeannette and her siblings still makes me unsure about what to think about Jeannette’s parents. They tried to make life wonderful for their kids even though there were troubles they have to deal with.
Elizabeth VHS said,
November 27, 2007 at 4:21 pm
This book rates a 9 out of 10 from me…I also threw this book across the room.
For many reviewers and readers, the most extraordinary thing about The Glass Castle is that, despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. Were you able to be equally nonjudgmental?
No. Way. It’s not in my nature to sit by and take neglect and abuse. I would have left the —— jerks and set out on my own. Well, in her place maybe I would have been more stand-offish, but not in mine!
brianashsdoerr1 said,
February 26, 2008 at 8:08 am
1. Discuss the metaphor of a glass castle and what it signifies to Jeannette and her father. Why is it important that, just before leaving for New York, Jeannette tells her father that she doesn’t believe he’ll ever build it?
The glass castle is a metaphor of the relationship and faith between Jeanette and her father. Throughout the memoir, the children distance themselves from Rex more and more, except Jeantette. Her and her father have a strong bond until Jeanette decides to follow her sister to New York. Before leaving, she tells her father that she no longer believes he’ll ever build the glass castle. In saying this, she has not only lost faith in the castle, but in her father as well. This is a significant part of the book, because it also represents Jeanette breaking free from her oppresive life of poverty, to seek success.
MCshsdoerr1 said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:11 am
I loved reading this book. I was able to see Jeanette’s point of veiw on her parents. But I also saw how her father took advantage of her loyalty to him and ultimitely destroyed every thing they worked for with his drinking. Despite all of the things they did wrong they really loved their kids. As far as traits she inherited from her parents I don’t there was very many. She did become a writer like her mom, have a positive outlook, and perseverence in difficult situations, but I felt like the life and personality she ended up with were despite her childhood and upbringing. She would not have gotten to where she is if not for breaking away from her parents.
Kellym EJSHS said,
March 17, 2008 at 10:52 am
My response…
The Glass Castle is not really a physical object. It is the Walls family hope that one day they will escape all of their problems in that Jeanette’s father will stop drinking, get a stable job, and stop his angry rampages. It also signifies that at the moment when the Glass Castle is completed, the mother will love her children like she loves her art. However, none of that happened when the three eldest children lived with their parents. Things were almost always the same, nobody really wanted change, and there was just an overall air of denial that everything was good. This denial also appeared in the “hole” that the Glass Castle would be built in. Eventually due to the lack of plumping, it became filled with human waste. At the point, it appeared to Jeanette that the Glass Castle really was a piece of crap and that it stood for something her father could never give her. When she was leaving for New York, she tells her father he’ll never build it as a way to conclude that point in her life and say, “you’ll always be the same.”
My response to someone else (brianashsdoerr1)…
I agree in the way that The Glass Castle also represents their bond and faith within one another. Both of us said the same thing in that by telling her father he won’t build it, she is breaking away from everything holding her down in Welch. They did always have a strong bond in the way that Jeanette was his “Mountain Goat” that always believed in him unlike anyone else in the house. When she cuts him off at the train station, it signifies that she isn’t a Mountain Goat anymore, and she doesn’t believe in him. It is the moment in her life where she becomes independent and free of the problems plaguing her parents.
Daniellev EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 9:48 pm
2. What character traits — both good and bad — do you think that Jeannette inherited from her parents? And how do you think those traits shaped Jeannette’s life?
I think Jeannette inherited the traits to be independent, know how to take care of herself, learn how to provide for herself when things get tough, how to use a gun, how to rob someone, how to be herself and not care about other people’s opinions, and how to run away from life’s problems. These traits helped Jeanette learn from some of the mistakes her parents made as she was growing up. Some of them, like her independence, have really helped her in her success in life.
(response to MCshsdoerr1)
As far as MCshsdoerr1 said about being able to see the book from Jeanette’s point of view and how her father destroyed everything they worked for, I agreed. But I didn’t agree with her/his comment about Jeanette not inheriting anything from her parents, because good or bad she did inherit many traits from them. I also agree with his/her comment “She would not have gotten to where she is if not for breaking away from her parents.” I found this true also because I did feel that her parents held back all of the kids in some way, shape, or form. Even though they allowed their children to express themselves freely, there were times that they didn’t allow their children to reach their highest potenial
JasmineG EJHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 12:00 am
The glass castle is a metaphor for the fragility of security. The glass represents fragility and the castle, or home represents stability, comfort, security, and permanence. The glass might also represent opee-ness and freedom from restriction (walls), so maybe the glass castle is a metaphor for life of complete freedom and complete security, which is impossible to achieve in the the same place at the same time. The mother observed that the zoo animals had traded their freedom for security (pg.107), which is not quite true, since they had no say in the matter. She also means that she has stopped believing in him and his empty promises. When she tells her father that he is never going to build the glass castle she means that he will never find the balance between freedom and security.
JasmineG EJHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 12:12 am
My response t osomeone else (Kellym EJSHS):
I agree that when she she told her father that he would never build the glass castle she was telling him that he wass never going to change his ways. He obviously thrived off of living the way that he did. This was, I agree, her way of saying that she is sick of being lead on by his promises that alway fall through in the end. I think that the glass castle was a bit more representative than hope that the family would get out of their situation. It was more like hope for change in the father and the lives of the children.
JasmineG EJHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 12:20 am
The glass castle is a metaphor for the fragility of security. The glass represents stability, comfort, security, and permanence. The glass might also represent open-ness and freedom from restrictions (walls) so maybe the glass castle is a metaphor for life of complete freedom and complete security, which is impossible to achieve in the same place at the same time. The mother abserved that the zoo animals had traded their life of freedom for security, which is not quite true, since they had no say in the matter. She tells her father that he is never going to build the glass castle she means he will never find the balance between freedom and security.
My response to someone else (Kellym EJSHS):
I agree that when she she told her father that he would never build the glass castle she was telling him that he wass never going to change his ways. He obviously thrived off of living the way that he did. This was, I agree, her way of saying that she is sick of being lead on by his promises that alway fall through in the end. I think that the glass castle was a bit more representative than hope that the family would get out of their situation. It was more like hope for change in the father and the lives of the children.
DanielleR EJSHS said,
March 23, 2008 at 8:17 pm
This book has come from a person who has had a tough life. Jeanette has shown how someone who has almost nothing turns her life around and makes something of it. Her parents did not have the best morals but they taught there children some good and not so great things such as running away from problems because it is easier. The family was always moving around but mostly not living in houses, they were usually sleeping under the stars out in the desert. Reading this book gave me a real wake up call just realizing that this has actually happened to a real person. Most people would think that it is not possible for this to happen to real people, but it does. It is amazing how Jeanette turned her life around to make herself better but still remembers how tough life really is because she has gone through pretty bad times.
Bridgett VHS said,
March 25, 2008 at 12:48 pm
1. Why is it important that, just before leaving for New York, Jeannette tells her father that she doesn’t believe he’ll ever build it?
I believe that it was important fro her to tell her father that so that she could feel released from the bond holding her with them. Also so that maybe her father could relize that it was just a wish or dream that he wanted to do.
3. For many reviewers and readers, the most extraordinary thing about The Glass Castle is that, despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. Were you able to be equally nonjudgmental?
No I wasn’t able to equally be nonjudgemental. All thoughout the book I keep thinking ,”Why don’t her parents do better? They have the ablility, all they need is the focus?
amy central library said,
March 25, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Loved this book!
Taylor EJSHS said,
March 25, 2008 at 10:30 pm
3. For many reviewers and readers, the most extraordinary thing about The Glass Castle is that, despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. Were you able to be equally nonjudgmental?
As the question says, Walls was able to repeatedly forgive her parents, especially her father. This was easy to explain in the beginning of the book, when Jeannette was just a child, but as time went on it became clear to me that Jeannette had become the only one who really believed that her parents were trying to make a better life for her and her siblings. When I think about Jennette’s parents, I can’t really decide weather I could forgive them or not. Both parents constantly ignored the problems of their children, and would put themselves before. However, Jeannette’s father was always trying to educate his children and even though most of his salary went to drinking, he still was trying to create a better life for his family (the Glass Castle). Though the mother also cared for the children, I would say that she is actually the more irresponsible of the two, since she always considered her art and her goals more important than being a parent.
kaitlinshsdoerr4 said,
April 21, 2008 at 5:09 pm
1.Discuss the metaphor of a glass castle and what it signifies to Jeannette and her father. Why is it important that, just before leaving for New York, Jeannette tells her father that she doesn’t believe he’ll ever build it?
The glass castle signifies a bond between Jeannette and her father. So that mabey he will stop being a drunk and do something with his life.
2. What character traits — both good and bad — do you think that Jeannette inherited from her parents? And how do you think those traits shaped Jeannette’s life?
I think she got her brains from her father, her stupidity from her mother, her unwillingness from her mother. I think that those traits made her a well rounded person.
3. For many reviewers and readers, the most extraordinary thing about The Glass Castle is that, despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. Were you able to be equally nonjudgmental?
No I was not. If I had hungry kids at home i would go to work and get some money to buy food NOT art supplies,and except handouts.
Hayner VHS said,
April 22, 2008 at 3:57 pm
This book was something else. The struggles Jeannette dealt with all through her life were enormous. She was of such strong character (both physically and mentally) that she was able to handle everything life threw her way. I loved how she got a planet for a christmas present. That, while being the best present she could ever get, was touching that her dad was creative enough to think of such a spectaculer gift despite their poverty. It was sad how she was constantly molested, and her own father didn’t care enough to help. He even encouraged it at one point to help him win money. It was shocking to see into a life of severe poverty. This book perfectly portrayed a family fast falling apart at the seams. It was incredible how Jeannette was able to withstand such severe conditions, and still have the willpower to live.
Jessica VHS said,
April 29, 2008 at 12:24 pm
This book was amazing in the way that it made me think. Jeanette had to deal with so many problems and struggles it made me realize that many people (including me) dont realize what a good life we have. While reading this book i had some hard days, but then i would read some of this book and I was like wow what im going through really isnt that bad compared to what it could be. So overall I thought it was an amazing story, and i am telling everyone i know to read this book.
C.Novak EJSHS said,
April 30, 2008 at 8:24 am
The story about this strong independent woman, Jeannette, is told from a refreshing view, firsthand. The story starts out with Jeanette and her family living in the envioment, using the wild for sustenance. This book became very impotant to me,b because ive been through times as hard if not harder than hers, but its nice to finally have a voice in the crowd stand up and say whats been on all of our minds, that the world isnt perfect, that there are alot of problems out there that we need to stop hiding from.
Question and response
2. What character traits — both good and bad — do you think that Jeannette inherited from her parents? And how do you think those traits shaped Jeannette’s life?
She learned to be strong and to find her own way in life, her father may not have been the perfect role model, but he taught her to be strong and stand on her own feet. She learened more of what not to do from her parents, be like them.
3. For many reviewers and readers, the most extraordinary thing about The Glass Castle is that, despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. Were you able to be equally nonjudgmental?
No it wasnt, because as ive stated prior, ive been through the circumstances and more and some of the things Jeanettes parents do are unforgivable in my eyes, but then again i am biased in the fact that i am still angered by my own experience.