SUMMARY:
In the end of the book, Jeannette turns out having a good life. Even though when she moved to New York, and her parents followed her there, she found a decent job. Her brother Brian moved there as well (btw, he ended up becoming a cop! :D). Walls also ends up getting a boyfriend (named Eric) near the end of the novel, which she ended up marrying, and leaving. Like Walls said, "he was a good man, but not the right one for me." (Walls 280). However, she marries the 'right man' for her later, named John, who ended up persuading her to write her novel. Even though her father's idea of making a Glass Castle died away with his death, throughout everything she went through in this novel (and in real life), she ended up having a successful career working for MSNBC.com, and living a life as close as she could get to the Glass Castle.
QUOTE:
"Mom, we can't go on living like this," I said. ----- "That sounds like an awful life," Mom said. "Worse than this?" I asked. Mom turned quiet. She seemed to be thinking. Then she looked up. She was smiling serenely. "I can't leave your father," she said. "It's against the Catholic faith." Then she sighed. "And anyway, you know your mom. I'm an excitement addict." (Walls 187-188).
REACTION:
I kinda knew the novel was going to end up having a good ending, that is, that Jeannette was going to end up having a good life. Well, besides Maureen (her little sister). She ended up going to jail, for stabbing her MOTHER. Really? I don't think she deserved to be stabbed. No way, their mother went through too much BS to be stabbed. I had no idea Maureen was going to grow up to be a convict, either! She seemed like a nice n' cute lil' girl when she was growing up... )= Anyways, on the quote, I'm happy Jeannette finally confronted her mom. *applauds w/ amused face of approval*. Anyways, this is a great Bildungsroman, and I'm happy Jeannette finally 'entered society'. ^__^
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
TGC Post #4: Pgs. 129-170
SUMMARY:
The gang is on the move again! And this time, they're going to North Carolina! They are going there looking for another second chance, with their father's family, Jeannettes' grandparents. At first, their father hesitates the move from Arizona, but is convinced how much is family loves him, and goes on a cross-country road trip until they reach his parent's house. During the trip, they don't sleep in motels, rather, they sleep in their car each night (which is really in no condition to be driven at all). Also, reaching their destination, we find out exactly why Rex Walls (the father) became an atheist. Jeannette and the kids get enrolled to new schools, and without any records (which they left in Arizona, they are put in 'special' classes because the principal was ashamed at how the kids couldn't understand his thick accent. Also, Jeannette is constantly being bullies at school, because she 'looks poor', but seldom tells her parents, so they won't argue or anything like that. Later, the parents decide to go back to Phoenix (Arizona), to get the things they left behind, leaving the kids with their grandparents. When the parents arrive in Phoenix, though, they came to find that their old home had been looted, but they didn't mind. And, the parents were considering moving back to Phoenix, but Rose Mary (the mother) was convinced there were more opportunities where they were living now, in Welch. But as the Walls family finds out, fighting is a big part of the Welch community, so the kids learn to step up for themselves. During this time, also, the father starts to 'build' the Glass Castle, but with the father never home, the kids, Jeannette and Brian (her younger brother) took it to them to help out a bit. Reading also becomes a big part for the Walls family in living in Welch, because they have never had the time to read before like this. With great knowledge comes great responsibility, will the family finally make a final turn for the best?
QUOTE:
"Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy," Mom told me. "You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more." (Walls 129).
REACTION:
I kinda like these pages, it takes the family into a new society, out of their comfort zone, to a place where they really are being tested by everything around them. I'm getting the feeling the Walls family won't be going on any other 'adventures' for a while though, they seem pretty settled in Welch. I don't know what to expect! I mean, as part 2 of the novel is titled 'Welch', I though it meant 'poor', but it was actually the name of the town. (I confused it with 'whelp')
The gang is on the move again! And this time, they're going to North Carolina! They are going there looking for another second chance, with their father's family, Jeannettes' grandparents. At first, their father hesitates the move from Arizona, but is convinced how much is family loves him, and goes on a cross-country road trip until they reach his parent's house. During the trip, they don't sleep in motels, rather, they sleep in their car each night (which is really in no condition to be driven at all). Also, reaching their destination, we find out exactly why Rex Walls (the father) became an atheist. Jeannette and the kids get enrolled to new schools, and without any records (which they left in Arizona, they are put in 'special' classes because the principal was ashamed at how the kids couldn't understand his thick accent. Also, Jeannette is constantly being bullies at school, because she 'looks poor', but seldom tells her parents, so they won't argue or anything like that. Later, the parents decide to go back to Phoenix (Arizona), to get the things they left behind, leaving the kids with their grandparents. When the parents arrive in Phoenix, though, they came to find that their old home had been looted, but they didn't mind. And, the parents were considering moving back to Phoenix, but Rose Mary (the mother) was convinced there were more opportunities where they were living now, in Welch. But as the Walls family finds out, fighting is a big part of the Welch community, so the kids learn to step up for themselves. During this time, also, the father starts to 'build' the Glass Castle, but with the father never home, the kids, Jeannette and Brian (her younger brother) took it to them to help out a bit. Reading also becomes a big part for the Walls family in living in Welch, because they have never had the time to read before like this. With great knowledge comes great responsibility, will the family finally make a final turn for the best?
QUOTE:
"Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy," Mom told me. "You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more." (Walls 129).
REACTION:
I kinda like these pages, it takes the family into a new society, out of their comfort zone, to a place where they really are being tested by everything around them. I'm getting the feeling the Walls family won't be going on any other 'adventures' for a while though, they seem pretty settled in Welch. I don't know what to expect! I mean, as part 2 of the novel is titled 'Welch', I though it meant 'poor', but it was actually the name of the town. (I confused it with 'whelp')
Friday, October 15, 2010
TGC Post #3: Pgs. 85-125
SUMMARY:
In these pages, Jeannette recieves her first kiss (techincally, it wasn't a kiss according to her), which was considered a rape by her house-mate Billy Deel. This Billy Deel guy, the arrives to the Railroad Depot with a BB Gun, shooting out some of the Wall's family windows with the kids inside. Without hestitation, Jeannette grabbed her dad's pistol, and shot at Billy. Neighbors herd the shootout, and called police to investigate. The Wall's had to go to court, but Rex, the father, didn't aggree to this. This marked the end of their stay in the Tracks, now that the police were on to them. Each member of the family only had to bring one item with them, and out of a bag of choice rocks Jeannette picked from the desert, she only picked one, her favorite, a geode with it's insides coated with white crystals.
Now that the family had no where to go, their only choices were to move into their grandmothers, house. Their grandmother deceased recently, and just as Jeannette was getting excited about her memories with her grandmother, she is informed that she had died and that they were moving into one of her homes in Phoenix, which now belonged to Jeannette's mother. This home marked a new beggining to the Wall's family, a second chance. But sadly, they missed their chance, with their father loosing his job, and his rising alcoholic problem. Alot of their neighbors on North Third Street, their new home's address, were 'kind of weird'. Perverts and Gypsies roamed the streets and gave the Walls family some problems, but that wasn't too high of a mountain to climb (not to mention the home also had termites and roaches): a few Gypsie tricks, a newspaper, bug-spray, 10 shoes, and some Pervert Hunting got rid of these guys. But their new home gave them some time to have fun and live 'normal lives', Rose Mary, Jeannette's mother, spent alot of time painting in this home more than ever, and the kids were doing great in school. The family was the 'black sheep' of the community, but they didn't mind it, especially when their father Rex went into a cheetah's cage on a visit to animal prison/the zoo. Since Rex lost his job, the family had no stable money source anymore, so they tried shoplifting, which didn't go so well (they didn't got caught, but they ended up having to pay money for what they were going to steal). More importantly though: Christmas. Mary Rose promised that this years Christmas was going to be the best, and that they were actually celebrate it on Christmas Day instead of 1 week later, so they bought a bunch of gifts, and a slightly dry Douglas fir tree for a buck. But, their fates took a turn for the worst again, where their drunken father, after being kicked/'escorted' out of church, burned the tree, along with the presents. After, we discover that Jeannette has turned 10 in the spring. Her father asked her what she would want more than anything in the world, and she answered, "Do you think you could maybe stop drinking?" (Walls 116). This hurt Rex, so he stopped drinking, went through a sort of 'withdrawl', and became sober. Only to get back into drinkin again. Since Rex;s drinking problem came back into the light, Rose mary decided that they should move to West Virginia, where Rex's parents were. They rented a car (since their previous one was left abandoned on the way to the Grand Canyon), and left their house in Phoenix, to venture to West Virginia. At first, Rex hestiated at the idea, but with a "You're the head of the family! You're the dad! Come on!" and "We need you!" chant from the family awating in their rented 1956 Oldsmoblie, he was on his way with his family, starting yet another journey.
QUOTE:
Sorry, I had to pick more than one! =P
1)When we told Mom and Dad about our reading groups, we paused before the word "gifted", clasping our hands beneath our chins, fluttering our eyelids, and pretending to look angelic. "Don't make a mockery of it," Dad said. "'Course you're special. Haven't I always told you that?" Brian gave Dad a sideways look. "If we're so special," he said slowly, "why don;t you..." His words petered out. "What?" Dad asked. "What?" Brian shook his head. "Nothing," he said (Walls 95).
2)Don't worry, God understands," Mom said. "He knows that your father is a cross we must bear." (Walls 105).
REACTION:
On the first quote, this is just like my last quote where Brian sort of 'undermines' his father under his breath, but he doesn't want to break his spirit, yet. With the second quote, I wanted to include this because it's kinda funny know Rex is referred to a cross, where Rex is an athiest. I don't know, it was a weird comparison.
But, on the novel's plot itself, I actually though this was going to be it with running around for the Walls family (even though it wasn't even in the middle of the book yet). I had a feeling their Grandmother's home in Phoenix was their oppertunity to shine, and it was, but it didn't last/shine as long as I thought it would. Also, I'm noticing a pattern with what the family goes through: It's (almost) always because of the father, that the family has to move around! I mean, he loses his jobs, gets drunk all the time, a Dad like that is not gonna run a stable family! But the story goes in circles and repeats itself: When all is going well, something goes wrong and the family has to relocate and start a new beginning/'adventure', as the family calls their moving around. But it's all because of the father, I think. The events repeat! And now that I'm on part 3 of the novel (titled 'Welch'), I can't wait to read what happens to the family in West Virginia! (That is, if they ever get there.)
In these pages, Jeannette recieves her first kiss (techincally, it wasn't a kiss according to her), which was considered a rape by her house-mate Billy Deel. This Billy Deel guy, the arrives to the Railroad Depot with a BB Gun, shooting out some of the Wall's family windows with the kids inside. Without hestitation, Jeannette grabbed her dad's pistol, and shot at Billy. Neighbors herd the shootout, and called police to investigate. The Wall's had to go to court, but Rex, the father, didn't aggree to this. This marked the end of their stay in the Tracks, now that the police were on to them. Each member of the family only had to bring one item with them, and out of a bag of choice rocks Jeannette picked from the desert, she only picked one, her favorite, a geode with it's insides coated with white crystals.
Now that the family had no where to go, their only choices were to move into their grandmothers, house. Their grandmother deceased recently, and just as Jeannette was getting excited about her memories with her grandmother, she is informed that she had died and that they were moving into one of her homes in Phoenix, which now belonged to Jeannette's mother. This home marked a new beggining to the Wall's family, a second chance. But sadly, they missed their chance, with their father loosing his job, and his rising alcoholic problem. Alot of their neighbors on North Third Street, their new home's address, were 'kind of weird'. Perverts and Gypsies roamed the streets and gave the Walls family some problems, but that wasn't too high of a mountain to climb (not to mention the home also had termites and roaches): a few Gypsie tricks, a newspaper, bug-spray, 10 shoes, and some Pervert Hunting got rid of these guys. But their new home gave them some time to have fun and live 'normal lives', Rose Mary, Jeannette's mother, spent alot of time painting in this home more than ever, and the kids were doing great in school. The family was the 'black sheep' of the community, but they didn't mind it, especially when their father Rex went into a cheetah's cage on a visit to animal prison/the zoo. Since Rex lost his job, the family had no stable money source anymore, so they tried shoplifting, which didn't go so well (they didn't got caught, but they ended up having to pay money for what they were going to steal). More importantly though: Christmas. Mary Rose promised that this years Christmas was going to be the best, and that they were actually celebrate it on Christmas Day instead of 1 week later, so they bought a bunch of gifts, and a slightly dry Douglas fir tree for a buck. But, their fates took a turn for the worst again, where their drunken father, after being kicked/'escorted' out of church, burned the tree, along with the presents. After, we discover that Jeannette has turned 10 in the spring. Her father asked her what she would want more than anything in the world, and she answered, "Do you think you could maybe stop drinking?" (Walls 116). This hurt Rex, so he stopped drinking, went through a sort of 'withdrawl', and became sober. Only to get back into drinkin again. Since Rex;s drinking problem came back into the light, Rose mary decided that they should move to West Virginia, where Rex's parents were. They rented a car (since their previous one was left abandoned on the way to the Grand Canyon), and left their house in Phoenix, to venture to West Virginia. At first, Rex hestiated at the idea, but with a "You're the head of the family! You're the dad! Come on!" and "We need you!" chant from the family awating in their rented 1956 Oldsmoblie, he was on his way with his family, starting yet another journey.
QUOTE:
Sorry, I had to pick more than one! =P
1)When we told Mom and Dad about our reading groups, we paused before the word "gifted", clasping our hands beneath our chins, fluttering our eyelids, and pretending to look angelic. "Don't make a mockery of it," Dad said. "'Course you're special. Haven't I always told you that?" Brian gave Dad a sideways look. "If we're so special," he said slowly, "why don;t you..." His words petered out. "What?" Dad asked. "What?" Brian shook his head. "Nothing," he said (Walls 95).
2)Don't worry, God understands," Mom said. "He knows that your father is a cross we must bear." (Walls 105).
REACTION:
On the first quote, this is just like my last quote where Brian sort of 'undermines' his father under his breath, but he doesn't want to break his spirit, yet. With the second quote, I wanted to include this because it's kinda funny know Rex is referred to a cross, where Rex is an athiest. I don't know, it was a weird comparison.
But, on the novel's plot itself, I actually though this was going to be it with running around for the Walls family (even though it wasn't even in the middle of the book yet). I had a feeling their Grandmother's home in Phoenix was their oppertunity to shine, and it was, but it didn't last/shine as long as I thought it would. Also, I'm noticing a pattern with what the family goes through: It's (almost) always because of the father, that the family has to move around! I mean, he loses his jobs, gets drunk all the time, a Dad like that is not gonna run a stable family! But the story goes in circles and repeats itself: When all is going well, something goes wrong and the family has to relocate and start a new beginning/'adventure', as the family calls their moving around. But it's all because of the father, I think. The events repeat! And now that I'm on part 3 of the novel (titled 'Welch'), I can't wait to read what happens to the family in West Virginia! (That is, if they ever get there.)
Friday, October 8, 2010
TCG Post #2: Pgs.42-84
SUMMARY:
The Walls family is still in the same routine, less money, more expenses. In these pages, Jeannett's mother, we find out, is pregnant, this being her 4th postmature child, will all of her kids being postmature. Because of this, Jeannetts mother and father get in a fight about it, where the father was literally chasing his wife out in the darkness of the desert carrying a baby in her stomach. With this arguing, came resonance the next day. But sadly enough, not all of their fighting lasted so shortly. After being pregnant for 12 months, Jeannett's mother finally gave birth to a baby girl, Jeannett's new baby sister, Lilly Ruth Maureen. Living in Blythe, in THE LBJ APARTMENTS, Jeannette goes to school, where she gets beat up after 4 days in the 1st grade, by 4 Mexican girls, because she always raised her hand in class. Also, she was different, being a tall, skinny, pale girl among tan people. A few months after Maureen was born, the family moved out of Blythe, to a town in Nevada called Battle Mountain, with a U-HAUL truck, and kids in the back of the truck. In Battle Mountain, a mining town, the Walls family lived in an old railroad depot called The Tracks, where they had to improvise on much of their furniture (ie. wooden spools as tables). Jeannetts father, Rex, sustained a job as an electrician in a barite mine in Battle Mountain, but fired himself to work on his research for his invention, the Prospector. Here, the kids would always go outside and look for gold and other treasures, such as turqouise, silver, and fool's gold, but never any real gold, which is why the family moved there in the first place, to look for an investment and to strike it rich with gold. Since the Walls family 'doesn't know how to run a budget', the family constantly runs out of food even more than before. Another fight breaks out between the parents, and this one seems like the worst yet. The mother is fed up with the father, who seems to provide very little for his family, where the mother is blamed for everything wrong in their lives and so on. Nevertheless, the mother, with a teaching degree, the mother applies for a job as a teacher in the local elementary school, to earn some sort of salary to help the family out financially. But this extra boost of money still isn't enough for the Walls family.
QUOTE:
"Have I ever let you down?" He asked Brian and me and then turned and walked away. In a voice so low that Dad didn't hear him, Brian said, "Yes." (Walls 78).
REACTION:
This story is touching, really. The quote is a great example of the jist of the story, as well. I mean, throughout the whole novel, the father makes 'empty promises' to the family, where the kids, and the mother, try to keep their mouths shut and cope with their father's 'plans' for a better life. I'm getting the idea that the Prospector the father is building isn't even in the making yet, and that he is just using it as an excuse to move from town to town, gamble, and look for gold. And with the quote, we can see that the kids and wife hide their true feelings about the quality of their lives, just so their parents won't get in any fights and possibly 'split-up'. But even though the story is basically a struggle of a family, the same situation in every 'chapter', I like reading this novel. It's interesting to see how families in poverty lived long ago.
The Walls family is still in the same routine, less money, more expenses. In these pages, Jeannett's mother, we find out, is pregnant, this being her 4th postmature child, will all of her kids being postmature. Because of this, Jeannetts mother and father get in a fight about it, where the father was literally chasing his wife out in the darkness of the desert carrying a baby in her stomach. With this arguing, came resonance the next day. But sadly enough, not all of their fighting lasted so shortly. After being pregnant for 12 months, Jeannett's mother finally gave birth to a baby girl, Jeannett's new baby sister, Lilly Ruth Maureen. Living in Blythe, in THE LBJ APARTMENTS, Jeannette goes to school, where she gets beat up after 4 days in the 1st grade, by 4 Mexican girls, because she always raised her hand in class. Also, she was different, being a tall, skinny, pale girl among tan people. A few months after Maureen was born, the family moved out of Blythe, to a town in Nevada called Battle Mountain, with a U-HAUL truck, and kids in the back of the truck. In Battle Mountain, a mining town, the Walls family lived in an old railroad depot called The Tracks, where they had to improvise on much of their furniture (ie. wooden spools as tables). Jeannetts father, Rex, sustained a job as an electrician in a barite mine in Battle Mountain, but fired himself to work on his research for his invention, the Prospector. Here, the kids would always go outside and look for gold and other treasures, such as turqouise, silver, and fool's gold, but never any real gold, which is why the family moved there in the first place, to look for an investment and to strike it rich with gold. Since the Walls family 'doesn't know how to run a budget', the family constantly runs out of food even more than before. Another fight breaks out between the parents, and this one seems like the worst yet. The mother is fed up with the father, who seems to provide very little for his family, where the mother is blamed for everything wrong in their lives and so on. Nevertheless, the mother, with a teaching degree, the mother applies for a job as a teacher in the local elementary school, to earn some sort of salary to help the family out financially. But this extra boost of money still isn't enough for the Walls family.
QUOTE:
"Have I ever let you down?" He asked Brian and me and then turned and walked away. In a voice so low that Dad didn't hear him, Brian said, "Yes." (Walls 78).
REACTION:
This story is touching, really. The quote is a great example of the jist of the story, as well. I mean, throughout the whole novel, the father makes 'empty promises' to the family, where the kids, and the mother, try to keep their mouths shut and cope with their father's 'plans' for a better life. I'm getting the idea that the Prospector the father is building isn't even in the making yet, and that he is just using it as an excuse to move from town to town, gamble, and look for gold. And with the quote, we can see that the kids and wife hide their true feelings about the quality of their lives, just so their parents won't get in any fights and possibly 'split-up'. But even though the story is basically a struggle of a family, the same situation in every 'chapter', I like reading this novel. It's interesting to see how families in poverty lived long ago.
Friday, October 1, 2010
TGC Post #1: Pgs. 0-41
SUMMARY:
I'm actually pretty happy with the first 40 pages of the book. So far in the novel, Jeannette Walls, the novel's author and narrator highlights her early life living as a 'nomad' on the West Coast. Her and he family are constantly moving from town to town, running away from tax collectors, the FBI, and etc. Currently, the family has lived in at least 11 places, and are currently living in a small town in the Nevada desert. Just like any family in poverty, Jeannette and her family have few resources to live off of. With her father, Rex Walls, being an inventor, he has a dream of creating a Glass Caste for his family, so they could finally settle down. So, the gist of the story is Walls and her family running around the country to find money, food, shelter, and gold for their Glass Castle. Jeannette has multiple encounters with fire, and it seems to keep on coming back to kill her, as it started from the first few pages of the novel to around 30 pages later. Jeannette is also getting hurt often, and with, I would say, 'careless' parents, Jeannette suffers a bit from her wounds, but its struggle that helps mold you.
QUOTE:
While we were in Midland, Mom painted dozens of variations and studies of the Joshua tree. We'd go with her and she'd give us at lessons. One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight.
Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty." (Walls 38).
REACTION:
I'm loving this novel! It's almost like the author is narrating a documentary of her life in a movie, except this isn't on a television, this is on pages. Walls doesn't really have a particular style, but I can read these pages, and watch the novel's movie in my mind. It helps seeing what Jeannette is going through, like her living conditions in the desert, the casinos in Las Vegas, and etc. It also seems like some family's may have similar conflicts like Jeannett's in these times as well, with people losing their jobs and homes here and there, it's nice to know this kind of living isn;t really new to society (living with few resources and without a home). I like this book, hopefully I'll get more reading done in my next post!
I'm actually pretty happy with the first 40 pages of the book. So far in the novel, Jeannette Walls, the novel's author and narrator highlights her early life living as a 'nomad' on the West Coast. Her and he family are constantly moving from town to town, running away from tax collectors, the FBI, and etc. Currently, the family has lived in at least 11 places, and are currently living in a small town in the Nevada desert. Just like any family in poverty, Jeannette and her family have few resources to live off of. With her father, Rex Walls, being an inventor, he has a dream of creating a Glass Caste for his family, so they could finally settle down. So, the gist of the story is Walls and her family running around the country to find money, food, shelter, and gold for their Glass Castle. Jeannette has multiple encounters with fire, and it seems to keep on coming back to kill her, as it started from the first few pages of the novel to around 30 pages later. Jeannette is also getting hurt often, and with, I would say, 'careless' parents, Jeannette suffers a bit from her wounds, but its struggle that helps mold you.
QUOTE:
While we were in Midland, Mom painted dozens of variations and studies of the Joshua tree. We'd go with her and she'd give us at lessons. One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight.
Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty." (Walls 38).
REACTION:
I'm loving this novel! It's almost like the author is narrating a documentary of her life in a movie, except this isn't on a television, this is on pages. Walls doesn't really have a particular style, but I can read these pages, and watch the novel's movie in my mind. It helps seeing what Jeannette is going through, like her living conditions in the desert, the casinos in Las Vegas, and etc. It also seems like some family's may have similar conflicts like Jeannett's in these times as well, with people losing their jobs and homes here and there, it's nice to know this kind of living isn;t really new to society (living with few resources and without a home). I like this book, hopefully I'll get more reading done in my next post!
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