Parent's Beliefs

        Throughout The Glass Castle, Jeannette's parents had somewhat abnormal beliefs that were different from other families. I would describe Rose Mary Walls as a free-spirited artist whose standards and beliefs included self dependency and letting nature take its course. She didn't worry too much about any of her children, but instead devoted herself to her life. On the other hand, Rex Walls was a very intelligent father who cared deeply about his kids and always spoke his mind. A very severe problem that tore his family apart was his drinking. In fact, he didn't always finish what he planned to because of this problem. Rex's intelligence had the power to make his family rich, but he put it to waste by never getting jobs and spending all his money at bars. Although he had these many issues, I felt very sorrowful when he passed away because he always tried his hardest to make his children happy.
        Rex and Rose Mary's beliefs grew to ultimately change their children's lives. Dealing with their dysfunctional family, Lori, Brian, and Jeannette helped each other out and raised money to buy food.  Maureen, who just spent her time at friend's houses, never experienced any teamwork or self-sufficiency. I think that is why she became upset and confused and ended up stabbing her mother towards the end of the novel. To conclude, Rex and Rose Mary's beliefs have changed the lives of their children.

        A song that reminded me of how Rex and Rose Mary's beliefs have changed Jeannette and her siblings lives is "Innocent" by Taylor Swift. Jeannette, Laurie, Maureen, and Brian were all born into an environment that they couldn't control, but still had control over who they would become. Some siblings made their choices better than others, but at the end of the day it was themselves who decided their fate.

The Theme of Fire

        While reading The Glass Castle I saw many reoccurring themes, but the one I thought was the most important was the theme of fire. Towards the beginning of the novel, Jeannette explained her first encounter with fire when she nearly burned to death while cooking hot dogs at the age of three. After this incident she became fascinated with fires. I think this addiction occurred because she could relate her life to fire. For instance, one thing Jeannette liked to do with fire was swipe her finger through it to see how much heat she could endure before she was unable to take it anymore. This relates to her life because it can resemble how many hardships she was willing to endure with her unproductive parents. To escape the burning sensation of a finger when it is swiped through fire, it can be moved away. Likewise, to escape from her parents, Jeannette moved to New York with her other two siblings. All in all, I thought that fire was a vital theme shown many times in The Glass Castle.



        Above, is a commercial for the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 that shows people who are addicted to their phones. This reminded me of how Jeannette was addicted to fire. Being addicted to your phone leads to problems like running into people or disappointing your date. Likewise, Jeannette's addiction to fire caused her problems, such as burning her doll's face.