The Glass Castle Essay

668 Words2 Pages

Rex Walls
While growing up in life children need their parents to teach them and lead them on the path to a successful future. In the Glass Castle Rex Walls, Jeannette’s father, neglects to take care of his duties as a father figure in Jeannette’s life. In the same way he teaches her to be strong and independent at a very young age. As we read through the story we see the special relationship that Jeannette shares with her father. Even though he, in many instances, failed to protect his children, refused to take responsibility for them, and even stole from them, Jeannette still loved him until his death for two reasons: one, for his ability to make her feel special, and two, because he is a never-ending source of inspiration.
As we go through the stories in the Glass Castle we see the relationships and independence Jeanette builds starting very early in the book when she depicts herself as a little child making hotdogs. When Jeannette was three, her parents allowed her to cook for herself over hot stoves and all. This showed how much her parents put in to developing their independence. “I was wearing the dress to cook hotdogs… then all of a sudden my dress caught fire.”(3) Marie, Jeannette’s mother, completely refuses to take care of her own children. She doesn’t care for her children as any mother should. Any child even at the age of three should not be making hotdogs over a hot oven. This act shows how much independence her father has instilled in her.
Rex is controlling these kids life in a negative way and Marie is just allowing him to corrupt his children. As a mother she is just allows him to do whatever he wants to their children including putting them in harm’s way. Marie is just unknowing of all the wrong, or just blinded...

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...as and dreams and gave his family nothing but a whole bunch of empty promises and empty hope. He has put the idea of a better place to live the “Glass Castle” only to satisfy their constant relocating. In his mind he knows the brilliant home will never be built, but he continues to lie to his children. I honestly feel as though he lies to them so they would not lose faith in him.
Through retelling her stories, many times Jeannette she closes by pointing out how unique her father makes her feel. This is not by what he does, but it is by what he does not do. He allows her to become weak in the moment and then she has to find a way to overcome the weakness at hand. It cannot be denied Rex Walls did some awful things that harmed his children, mostly Jeannette. In the harm that she was put in he built a relationship like no other with her that made her feel so special.

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