The Glass Castle by

Unconditional Love

et368533 — 2025-02-27 18:18:17 UTC

This picture of parents walking their child up a hill is reflective of Jeannette's relationship with her parents. On Page 5, Rose Mary tells Jeannette "Your father and I are who we are. Accept it." when the two meet at the Chinese restaurant. The photo and quote illustrate the unconditional love she holds for the rest of Walls family despite the pain and mistreatment the children have withstood. The family in this photo may clearly and openly support each other, but in Jeannette's case, she loved her family despite their lack of care.

Broken Promises

et368533 — 2025-02-27 18:55:59 UTC

A crossed finger is traditionally a discreet way to show you don't intend to go through with what you say, it represents unfulfilled promises. When Jeannette was a child, her father made many promises to her, most of which were never seen through. One of these promises made to her was the construction of the Glass Castle. Brian and Jeannette got to digging the hole for the foundation, but Rex never got around to it so the children could only watch as "the hole for the Glass Castle’s foundation slowly filled with garbage."

Anxiety

et368533 — 2025-03-02 01:51:02 UTC

A cheetah is one of the most anxious predators in the Savannah, biologically conditioned to run at prey or away from bigger predators despite being a predator itself, as such when it's put into captivity, it needs time to adjust from constantly running to and from places. When looked at in this context, the cheetah can represent the constant fear that the entire Walls family experiences. Even at a young age, Jeanette is aware of how her family was "always doing the skedaddle." This constant moving was fueled by her parent's own paranoia, and resulted in an unstable definition of a home for the children. An actual cheetah appears in the book when Jeannette pets it with Rex's help. In this moment, the cheetah is in a place of order where it is provided for and taken care of, while Jeannette lives everyday in chaos.

Struggle

et368533 — 2025-03-02 02:24:45 UTC

On page 38, Jeannette asks her mother if she can dig up a Joshua Tree to move it to somewhere safe. Her mother does not agree with the idea, telling her "You'd be destroying what makes it special. It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty." The Joshua Tree can be related back to Jeannette, who struggles constantly for survival yet still manages to grow. Rose Mary's treatment of the Joshua Tree mirrors her treatment of Jeannette, she has the tools to give both a better sense of comfort and survival, but she leaves both of them to their own devices in their harsh circumstances.

Trauma

et368533 — 2025-03-03 17:55:20 UTC

A spiral is oftentimes a symbol of escalating negative thoughts and feelings with no end in sight. Rose Mary and Rex's negligent treatment of their children stems from the trauma they were unable to grow past. The way they treat their children would then burden their kids with their own trauma, resulting in an increasing spiral. On Page 28, Jeannette tells the story of Mary Charlene, her sibling who died at nine months old, Jeannette points out that her "Mom and Dad were never the same after Mary Charlene died. [Dad] started having dark moods, staying out late and coming home stinky and losing jobs." The trauma of his dead child would lead Rex to traumatize his own children, pushing forth the spiral.

Support

et368533 — 2025-03-03 18:07:29 UTC

Support from others was what allowed the children of the Walls family to succeed despite their conditions. The first three siblings, Jeannette, Lori, and Brian, had each other to rely on for both basic survival needs, as well as emotional ones. But Maureen, who didn't have the company of her siblings, struggled a lot more than her siblings did.