Brittany Figueroa
Professor Vogel
English 300
May 5th 2015
Glass Castle Book Review
In the dramatic novel, The Glass Castle, written by Jeannette Walls, it details the story based upon Jeannette Walls and her family. Consistently short on food and cash, the family frequently moves around the country in hopes of re-settling. However, with a dysfunctional family, keeping together was a hard challenge. Even through the most struggling times though, they were able to find humor through it all. With the parents unwilling to endeavor society's ideas of responsibility, and not giving best interest for their children, Jeannette enlightens her survival through it all.
The emotions that the novel invoked were tears and happiness. In the beginning, the novel started off with a seriousness and wonder. Jeannette begins detailing her childhood life during poverty as her parents struggle to raise her and her siblings. Throughout the novel more emotions come into play. Emotions such as tears, joy, sadness, and remorse. While Jeannette Walls details her childhood life, all those emotions come into the novel and they exposed to the reader.
Connections between my own life and the book resemble in some ways. Reading the novel written by Jeannette Walls and her childhood life, I began to reflect on my own. There were many similarities of the suffering that Jeannette experienced as a child, which I could relate to. The lack of responsibility Jeannette’s parents had as adults, is what I could relate to as well. Jeannette’s shared experiences about bullying, abuse, and neglect were all connections to my own life as a child. Most of important was the main fact that Jeannette felt that she would be only to survive and thrive for herself if she got away from her parents. As spoken by Jeannette’s father, quoted in the novel, “ ‘This family is falling apart,’ he said. ‘It sure is,’ I told him.” (Walls page 230) The connection was truly great here for me because I needed to thrive my best by being away from my father. Connection with Jeannette’s father being a drunk, a father who smokes, does the “skedaddle”, is the similarity that I have with the novel.
Reading Jeannette Walls powerful and inspirational story, I have defiantly changed after reading it. I am more forgiving for my father’s lack of kindness that I never received from him as a child. After reading, I have also come to terms about focusing on my own life and not living in the past and how things could have been different. I spend my time wisely and focusing on what will be most positive for my life. However, there are times when I try to go back and face my father and try to hold my helping hand out for him, but I have come to terms that he needs to be the one who has to stand up on his own. I can’t do it for him. However, knowing that my father is struggling and is sulking in his own guilt, I do have a “soft spot” for him. I can relate to how he is feeling, but I had to find my own strength and pull myself up, which I have done so delightfully.
Rating the novel is defiantly a 10 out of 10. I absolutely would refer this novel to other readers and friends. The Glass Castle had great inspirations, also detailed very thoroughly about the life of irresponsible parents, and how it is living in poverty. This novel was very intriguing to me due to the relations of connections while I was reading. I felt connected to the novel and with that, I never wanted to stop reading this prevailing story. Jeannette Walls story has defiantly connected with me very deeply. Her message was sent with no absolute hesitations for me as the reader.