End Thoughts

     In the end of The Glass Castle, I finally realized that even though Jeanette's parents weren't the most responsible, trustworthy, good people, they truly loved their children with all their hearts - especially Rex.
     While the beginning and middle of the book made me feel angry and agitated, the last sixty pages or so really touched me. A specific part comes to mind, when Lori had moved away from Welch to New York City, and Jeannette was about to do the same, Rex called Jeannette into the living room and showed her the old plans for the Glass Castle. He told her that now that Lori was gone, he was going to adjust the plans so that her room was much bigger. Jeannette told him that he would never build the Glass Castle, and that she wanted to go to New York City; to which Rex replied, "What I was thinking was that you don't have to go right away." It was here that I really understood that Jeannette's father really, really loved her; and although he didn't do things in an orthodox way and made many mistakes over the years, he had tried for her.
     The day after the last day of her junior year of high school, Jeannette gets a bus ticket for New York City, and joins Lori in her apartment. She gets a job at a hamburger restaurant, and works there until she gets a job working for a newspaper called The Phoenix. Soon after she gets the job, her younger brother Brian joins them in New York. After being advised by her boss and sister, Jeannette applies and is accepted into Barnard University (the sister school to Columbia University) and starts working to pay her way through college.
     Only a short time after that, Lori invites Maureen to come and live with her in her apartment, leaving only Rose Mary and Rex behind in Welch. But this doesn't last for long, and soon all of the Walls family is living in New York. Jeannette's parents go from place to place, and after a few years end up living as squatters in an abandoned building after Jeannette's graduation from Barnard. Maureen, who started to drift away onto the wrong path over the years, ended up stabbing Rose Mary and was sentenced to a year in a hospital, and after her time moved to California.
     Only a short while later, Rex informed Jeannette that he was dying. After, "...smoking four packs of cigarettes a day since he was thirteen," and drinking heavily, Rex's time was running out. He told her that he loved her quickly and shortly, and after two weeks, he was dead.
     Years later, after having little contact with each other, the Walls family reconvenes at Jeannette's home, and they catch up and meet each other after a long time of being apart. Then, the book ends.
     I was really touched when Rex died, and although I know he brought his death upon himself with all his drinking and smoking, I wish he could have lived longer, for his sake and for the sake of his family. I was also really touched at the end when the Walls family met up and talked and laughed and saw each other after Rex's death.
     I think The Glass Castle was my favorite of the reading that I had to do for AC this summer. It really touched me; and it showed me how lucky I am to be where I am, and also how lucky I am to have the people I have.

Welch, WV

Here's a modern map of Welch, West Virginia (Rex Walls' hometown and the childhood home of Jeannette Walls).

Middle of the Book

     Right about in the middle of the book, Jeannette and her family arrive in Welch, West Virginia; Rex's home town.

     After years of "skeddadling" and roaming nomadically in the western U.S., Rose Mary decides to migrate to Welch. At first when Rose Mary suggests that the family move to Welch, Rex is reluctant, and tells her that he won't join them if they go. This doesn't stop Rose Mary, who is packing the car and bringing the children when Rex finally agrees to come.

     When they arrive, the Walls family stays at Rex's parents' home. Jeannette and her siblings finally meet their grandmother (who doesn't like to be called Grandma because it makes her sound old, and goes by Erma), their grandfather, and their Uncle Stanley. Everyone soon realizes that Erma is an awful lady; she doesn't like the kids laughing in the house, she gets intoxicated all the time, she sexually abuses Brian, fights Lori, and forces the children to stay in the basement for a long time while their parents are away. Their grandfather mostly keeps to himself, but their Uncle Stanley also isn't the best person on the planet; although he seems like a loving person, he sexually assaults her on one occasion. Reading about Rex's family made me realize that he wasn't the best person probably because of his difficult childhood and home life. 

     Soon after, the Walls family decides to buy their own house - 93 Little Hobart Street. The house is run-down and cheap, but they buy it anyway, and they live there for a long time. When it rains, water leaks from the ceilings all throughout the house, and the kids have to wear rags on their hands when they walk into the kitchen, because they could get electrocuted by faulty wiring.

     Reading about all of the hardships Jeannette Walls faced as a child is quite sad. People never really hear much about poverty in America, and although it's not quite like poverty in other countries, it's definitely a problem. I've never really thought honestly about how lucky I am to be where I am and with the people I am, until reading The Glass Castle.

Jeannette Walls

     Here's a little video I found that describes Jeannette Walls' situation and shows her mother and her mother's paintings.

Beginning Thoughts

     A few weeks ago, I began reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
     The first thing that struck me about The Glass Castle was the very beginning, when an older Jeannette is riding in a taxi and looks up to see her mother fishing through trash. It puzzled me to think that someone who has nothing and is looking for scraps in a Dumpster could have a daughter that's successful and well-to-do. That may sound inconsiderate, but it's honestly the first thought that popped into my head, only a sentence into the book. Still, as I read on through the next few pages, I realized that it's entirely possible for this to happen. It did happen, to the Walls family.
     Rex Walls and Rose Mary Walls married in 1956, and had four children - the oldest, Lori, the second youngest, Jeannette, the third youngest, Brian, and the youngest, Maureen. Rex and Rose Mary were interesting people, and although they loved their children very much, they were not the most responsible parents and had many problems and addictions. Rose Mary was an aspiring artist with a teaching degree and Rex Walls was an, "entrepreneur" and odd-job man, of sorts. In the very beginning, I really couldn't make up my mind if I thought Rose Mary and Rex were good parents or not; for example, in the beginning Rex steals Jeannette back from the hospital after she's burned from the hot dog machine fire, without even really knowing if she'd be okay or not; and then other times Rex would teach Jeannette, Lori, Brian, and Maureen all kinds of useful tips and wisdom.
     Even in the beginning of the book, I realized that Jeannette Walls had quite a troubled childhood, and I knew that the rest of the book was going to be sad, funny, and interesting.