TOW #4 - IRB Review The Glass Castle

I finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and it was a very frustrating book to read. Don’t get me wrong, Jeannette Walls is a very talented author, I just felt that the people in her book were lazy. Jeannette never really had a chance to be a kid. Her father was a drunk and her mother was “free spirited.” Her mother never really paid any much attention to Jeannette or her siblings because she wanted them to learn on their own. In some ways that could be beneficial, but in other ways it can be very harmful. Since Jeannette had to take care of herself, she set herself on fire at three years old while making hot dogs. Something that I found very sad was that Jeannette shared that she liked staying in the hospital because she never received that kind of attention at home. Her father on the other hand was well liked by Jeannette. On several occasions, Jeannette called herself “his biggest supporter,” because one day when he found enough gold, he would make them a dream house. But instead of actually looking for gold, he spent his money on alcohol. This book is obviously made up of many powerful anecdotes. I remember that during one of the many Wall's family moves, Jeannette's father grabbed the family cat and threw him out of the window. After, her mother scolded Jeannette and replied, "Don't be so sentimental"(Walls 18). This really shocked me because this shows the tone that her parents had with Jeannette and it definitely was not a loving tone. Another important device that was used in this book is imagery. Not only does Jeannette convey imagery to create a setting, but she uses it to express her emotions and feelings. On the first page of the book, she tells her audience about her mother "dumpster diving." She describes her mother's appearance and makes it easier for her audience to visualize what her life was life. Although this book frustrated me at the beginning, it made me see how strong Jeannette was and the things that she had to overcome.