“The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls Analysis Essay

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Jeannette Walls, in her short story, describes how hard life in poverty can be, especially when parents are neglectful. A story of childhood hardships is at the heart of her story that hard work can help a person succeed. The story described by Walls is so unique precisely because “that this is all true, that these events really did happen to real people” (Correll). Lopez also notes that the most important aspect of the connection between reader and author is the realization that all lives are not perfect. Thus, the novel presents a story of perseverance that anyone can relate to.

Since childhood, Jeannette has learned that unwillingness or inability to do something is just an excuse. She was so tired of poverty that the only way for her seemed “getting on the next bus out of here” (Walls 238). Finally, Jeannette was determined to leave her family life in Welch and move to New York. She realizes that her parents were an obstacle for her, as even her mother says: “You get to go to New York and I’m stuck here. It’s not fair” (Walls 237). Parents envy her success and aspirations, shifting the responsibility for their mistakes to the child. However, Jeannette did not pay attention to such words, as she was keen on development. Rose Mary notes that about her: “never had much going for you except that you always worked hard” (Walls 270). In the end by the end, Jeannette’s aspiration was the opposite of her family, bringing to success and acceptance not only herself but also those close to her. However, she is still ashamed of her roots and origins, as well as the behavior of her parents.

This story shows how much a dysfunctional family leaves a mark on a person’s life, even when it changes completely. Yang and Congzhou note that the family has the strongest cultural and social impact on the child (51). This aspect illustrates how Jeannette wanted to be accepted in her hometown, but at the same time, how rejected she felt. She shows optimism and honesty with which she wants to succeed, in contrast to her family.

References

Correll, Rose. The New Hampshire, 2019. Web.

Lopez, Gina. Daily Collegian, 2017. Web.

Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. Scribner, 2017.

Yang, Liu, and Yang Congzhou. “Analysis of Sino-American Family Education Differences: Collectivistic or Individualistic?—Taking the Glass Castle as an Example.” International Education Studies, vol. 11, no. 8, 2018, pp. 51-57.

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