There are many problems need to be solved in the memoir such as poverty, homelessness, neglect, sexual abuse, hunger, discrimination, violence, unemployment, division within family and alcohol abuse. But according to me division with the family first needed to be solved it is also stated in the novel, “this family is falling apart,’ he said. ‘It sure is,’ I told him” (Walls 230) as if the family is united they can go through any circumstances.
A united family has trust, hope, love, belief that everything in going to be fine and unselfishness which the family lacked in many situations for example when the family was hungry and he mom has a whole chocolate bar but she doesn’t want to share it with the whole family. She said, “I’m a sugar addict, just like your father is an alcoholic. ‘ She told us we should forgive her the same way we always forgave Dad for his drinking” (Walls 174).
After getting settled in New York they didn’t stay together rather thought to move on in their life. There were many ideas that influenced me such as family gives you strength as Jennet’s father was always with her whenever she needs him in some parts of this memoir, alcohol is harmful as due to alcohol as Jeannette’s little sister, Maureen, she has a dependent ersonality and cannot take care of herself. She has an impetuous behavior.
Everyone doesn’t have nice childhood and might have some bad experiences so we should be nice to everyone as the major thing about childhood is innocence, carefree nature, and fun that Wall’s family children were missing as those little kids, they expose to poverty, starvation, alcoholic father and sexual assault and last but not least determination can change your circumstances as the Wall’s children were determined to get out of that mess and change their situation so they left for New York and became successful.
The Key Events n the memoir were started when Jennet while riding along through New York sees her mom digging through the garbage, Jeannette’s mother is pregnant again with a girl, Maureen, move to Phoenix, Jeannette’s father started drinking, mom decides to move to Welch, the dad’s hometown in hope his parents could support them, dad’s mom turns out to be very abusive to the kids, especially Brian she touches him inappropriately one day, Jeannette and Lori decide they want a better life for themselves, Lori moves to New York after she graduates high school, Jeannette follows her to attend public school for her senior year,
Brian moves up there later, following him is Maureen, the parents feel alone and move up to New York to be with the kids, they end up on the streets, Maureen stabs her mom, the dad still drinking in his sixties dies of a heart attack, Jeannette divorces the guy she was with, and then finds a new guy and settles down. Some significant issues need to be solved are gender and class issues. During Jeanette’s childhood, and even after she is an adult, her mother and father are locked in a constant battle both against one another and society. Mary Walls, Jeanette’s mother, is the character who most inspires in
Walls’s readers a “feminist curiosity”. Jennets’ mother is constantly trying to defy her gender expectations as wife and mother to “be herself”, but does so at the immediate expense of her children (she does not cook for them, or protect them, or nurture them). The father, more so than the mother, puts some effort into fulfilling his fatherly role but falls short in light of his liberal ideas, alcoholism, bad temper, and lawlessness. While Mary receives great criticism from her children, their father, who disappears for days at a time on drinking binges, receives little to no direct disapproval from his children.
When the family finally has a chance to leave their dad behind and start a new life, they cry out that they “need him” because he is “the head of the family” (125). The key players are Jeannette Walls, Rex Walls, and Rose Mary Walls. In the memoir each of the significant characters value many things. Jeannette Wall values determination. She was determined to change her circumstances and to get out of that town and pursue her dream of being a successful reporter. She also had a more than enough money to live her life. Rex Wall values family before he started drinking.
He was an intelligent man as a skilled lectrician and engineer and often spends his spare time inventing apparatuses. He wants to build glass castle, he was also the head of the family before he stared drinking he tried to stop drinking when his family asked him to do so but he wasn’t able to do so and going to the brothel. Jeannette was very close to her Dad whether it was a demon in the room or hoping that Dad will go to give up drinking as in memoir “I swear, honey, there are times when I think you’re the only one around who still has faith in me,” [Dad] said. I don’t know what I’d do if you ever lost it. I told him that I would never lose faith in him. And I promised myself I never would. Rose Mary Walls value self- sufficiency. She believes people have the power to make their lives whatever they want it to be.
She also started teaching but later on she thinks that she is not capable of doing so. She sometimes gave good advice when their father turns to an alcoholic or she take up a father’s duty as she added that, “you should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. “Everyone has something good about them,” she said. You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that. ” My values re quite similar with Wall’s family. I do value determination and family but not self-sufficiency that much. I think if we are determined we are capable of doing impossible and if we love our family our half of the problems are solved, we have a supporting system who is there from our birth to our death. Jeannette Wall got burned badly while making hot dogs. Billy tries to forcefully kiss her and tries to undress her. African- American girl, Danital Hewitt, beat up Jeannette at recess but later became her friend.
When Jeannette’s mother and sister go out on a camp Jeannette managed the family budget while oing to school and holding down a job at a jewelry shop, but she gave Dad 30$. Dad offers Jeannette to a man at the bar. Jeannette and Lori save money to go to NYC, Jeannette follows Lori and she became a successful journalist. Rex Wall created some real problems that aren’t full resolved until the end of the memoir. He must be suffered from sexual abuse in childhood. He took Jeannette out of the hospital without the permission of the doctor and nurse.
He teaches children math as well as gun shooting. He counts cards at the blackjack table in Las Vegas that Casino also catches fire. He ets a job in a gypsum mine in Midland. He gave Jeannette her favorite gift on Christmas. Taught Children sink or swim theory. Started taking alcohol. Stole money from Lori. Rose Mary Walls was an artist. Memoir started when she was taking out stuff from the garbage. She teaches children how to read. She yells at Lori and Jeannette when she saw hem eating margarine mixed with sugar which makes her realize how bad their situation was.
She started teaching at Lori’s and Jeannette’s school. Rex used to take money from her to use it in drinking and Casinos. She also loses one child after Lori. She was found eating a candy bar hen there was no food without sharing with her children. She has 24 karate gold ring but she refuses to sell it. When her children move to NYC she wasn’t happy with it but later joins them. If I have to propose any action for Jeannette Walls I must haven’t give that 30$ to my Dad knowing that he will be going to spend that money in a bar.
I would rather hide that money somewhere where my Dad can never imagine. If I was in the place in Rex Walls place I will go place to place with my children, I will settle at one place by taking care of laws, get a good job and get a nice home or rent an apartment. I wouldn’t start taking alcohol, going to brothel already knowing all the situation and act like a mature person. I would rather talk about it with my family. I wouldn’t give Jeannette to another man to force himself on her. I wouldn’t go against Brian and leave the house.
If I cannot live without alcohol I would rather drink less so I would be little conscious. If I was at Rose Mary Walls place I wouldn’t give money to Rex W. rather hide it or lock it somewhere. I wouldn’t patch up with Rex W. after big fights like when Rex was about to push Rose Mary Wall out of the window rather I would leave him. I would rather stand any sexual abuse with my children. I wouldn’t eat whole chocolate by myself rather I would share it with my children. To earn back the money (30$ she gave to her father), her father takes her out to a roadside bar and offer her to a man.
For moving place to place they never get settled, they never went to a school full time, they have to leave people behind, they have to get through a lot of adventures like one time when Jeannette was left behind. By starting alcohol and going to the brothel he grew apart from his family, the family lost their faith from him, he fails to be a father nd a husband as stated in the memoir, Who do you think you are? ” [Dad] asked. “She’s your mother. ” “Then why doesn’t she act like one? ” I looked at Dad for what felt like a very long moment.
Then I blurted out, “And why don’t you act like a dad? By giving Jeannette to another man to force himself on her, Jeannette loses her faith from her father. When Brian kick Rex Walls out of the house he has to live on the streets and was house broken. When Rose Mary gave money to Rex she encourages his drinking habit and makes a man look powerful than women. She used to patch up with Rex after any fight hether it was big or small which make Rex powerful and encourage him that he can do anything and he’ll be easily forgiven. She didn’t stand for Brian when he was sexually abused make her look like a weak character and children stop asking for any help from her.
She ate whole chocolate which makes children getting her as selfish women. The probable consequences of my proposed actions were if Dad didn’t get any financial help for drinking he may be getting tired of asking money and control his drinking habit. If Rex Walls didn’t go place to place the family must be settled with good financial system & Children get a good education. If Rex didn’t start taking alcohol he will be for his family whenever they need him, Jeannette and other children didn’t lose faith from him and the end of the memoir must be something else.
If Rose Mary Walls didn’t give money to him some other message must have been delivered through the memoir, Rose Mary Walls must have been shown as powerful women who knows how to deal with different situations. If Rose Mary didn’t forgive Rex for all the big fights and stop Rex for forcing her to give the money she must haven’t been left alone when their children left for NYC and she must haven’t been homeless for a specific period of time. If she stood for any bad things going with her children she must be respected, shown as a powerful lady and an important character throughout the memoir and same with that chocolate incident.
Poverty is a big issue throughout the novel because Walls never had an abundant amount of food and facilities throughout the memoir or even small amount of facilities sometimes. Maureen had to stay with her friend family for food and for shelter and Jeannette was used to taking out food from garbage cans. They were used to take shelter in broken homes or in someone’s family like Rex’s mother home. They have million dollar property in the desert but they didn’t want to sell it. They weren’t even able to afford cheap clothes.
They were used to sleep on cardboard as a mattress and have to deal with rats and other insects. Rex Wall’s drinking problem created many financial problems by limiting their money use. They cannot afford refrigerator so they have to eat canned food for weeks. Jeannette and her sibling used to get bullied due to poverty which according to the students is a shame. The Children could have harder future than they actually had. They learned how to find food and how to take care of their needs. They became minimalist. They learned how to deal with their hunger.
They learned how to stick together in difficult times. Poverty shaped Wall’s children and gave them the courage to become what they are today as they learned how to turn any situation productive and positive. They escape it by going to NYC as they made a plan that Lori will move to NYC and Jeannette will follower her next and despite some problem, they accomplished their plan. In NYC Jeannette got Job quickly as a reporter. They eat well, got hot water to bath and heat to sleep. Brian and Maureen move in with them.