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Choose an event that happens in the reading that reveals a little bit about the author’s personality. Explain the passage and what has been revealed to you

- Jeanette describes one of her earliest memories being accidentally setting herself on fire. This event reveals her curiosity and persistence with things. Almost immediately after being released from the hospital, she shows no fear for flames. In fact, the injury only seems to fuel her on and leads to her becoming fascinated with it, testing her tolerance by standing near burning things and learning to swipe a finger through a candle unharmed.

What recurring patterns (repeated or related words, images, etc.) can you find? What is the effect of these patterns or motifs?

- Two things that are repeated are the prospector and fire. While they move the story forward, they show the reality in which Jeanette grew up. The prospector can be seen as a symbol of fantasy and pointless hope. The idea of finding gold with a machine in order to build something made of glass is something HIGHLY unlikely and almost childish. Despite the polished state of the prospector seemingly coming closer and closer, it's something that as the story progresses, will quickly be forgotten about. The motif of fire is something that can symbolize danger and supervision. Jeannette, who's faced first hand the dangers of it, continues to play with it by burning things. Both incidents as a result of her curiosity could've both been avoided if she had someone watching over her.

What figures of speech are used?

- Jeannette Walls relies heavily on the use of personification throughout the book. It gives the retelling of her early years more life and paints a vivid picture.

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As Jeanette shares her plans for an isolated Joshua tree, her mom replies with "You'd be destroying what makes it special.. It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty." This quote stood out to me because in a way it describes their family as a whole.

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Poverty is a motif constantly seen throughout the story. When Jeannette ends up in the hospital, Rex makes a run for it with her as their family waits in the car in order to avoid paying the bills. Similarly, the family constantly moves from place to place when home expenses add up. Based off the book, it's not uncommon for them to go days without eating due to the lack of money, and even when they do manage to collect a sum, it's spent just as quickly as it came by Rex and Rosemary.

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How do economic conditions determine the characters' lives?

- The economic conditions determine what the characters can afford. They can't afford certain things like food sometimes. Sometimes though, they have enough money to go out. In the end, it all depends on their condition.

What ideological values are explicit or implicit?

- Nonconformity is an explicit value in the Walls family. Rex and Rosemary refuse to fit in with society. Their devotion to it is so strong that they are willing to deny aid or necessities if they deem it as a hand out.

Does the work criticize class structure?

- The work doesn't exactly criticize class structure. Instead, it tells the stories of those with them. We learn a lot about the main characters and the lives they live within poverty.

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I relate to the characters struggling with money because naturally it's something that can change things temporarily or in the long run. My family is similar to those in the book in the way that they care in their own way. We're all tightly knit together and we try to help each other out. This chunk has really shown me that there are people out there that take nonconformity to such a drastic extent.