The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls Essay

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Jeannette Walls did not have your average childhood. She grew up poor and neglected and faced many hardships as a child. Many of the problems she faced as a child were caused by her parents. Her mother, Rose Mary, clearly suffers from narcissistic personality disorder which affects not only Jeannette but the entire family. It is evident throughout the entire story that Rose Mary clearly puts her wants and needs ahead of her childrens showing her narcissistic tendencies. According to the Mayo Clinic, narcissistic personality disorder “is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others.” Generally people that suffer from narcissistic personality disorder …show more content…

In an interview with Dr. Lisa Firestone of The Glendon Association she stated that “Narcissistic partners usually have difficulty really loving someone else, because they don’t truly love themselves.” (Firestone) In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls it is evident that Rose Mary struggles in all of her relationships. Time and time again she neglects her children and at times fails to show her love for them if it is even there. This is evident in her as a mother as well as a wife. Her narcissistic tendencies do harm to the people around her on more than one occasion. Jeannette was affected by this very early in her life. When Jeannette was just three years old Rose Mary neglects to prepare food for Jeannette because she would rather paint. Putting her wants and need ahead of her childrens this leaves three year old Jeanette on her own to cook hotdogs which leads to her first memory, “I was on fire. It’s my earliest memory.” (Walls 9) Rose Mary also struggles to make friends which many narcissists have trouble with. This is because narcissists enjoy the spotlight and as Dr. Firestone says tend to be the “life of the party.” Many of these qualities can be seen in Rose

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