The Glass Castle Themes by Sarah Ward https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j By: Sarah Ward en-us 2020-12-14 19:17:55 UTC 2025-12-01 17:14:12 UTC hello@padlet.com Perseverance 3568941 https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017514782 Quote: "She'd {Lori} been a finalist for a National Merit Scholarship, but she'd had to hitchhike into Bluefield to take the test, and she got rattled... she arrived nearly an hour late and botched the test." (page 226)
"Lori heard about a scholarship sponsored by a literary society... she decided to make a clay bust of Shakespeare... He {Rex} studied the sculpture, then suddenly reached over and smeared Shakespeare's mouth with his thumb." (page 227)
Explanation: Anyone who has read "The Glass Castle" can easily argue that the theme of perseverance is seen in all of the Walls' kids throughout the memoir because of what they endured in their childhood. The photo below of the girl with scars and bruises on one half of her face and bright color emerging from the other, perfectly symbolizes Lori Walls throughout her coming of age journey. When Lori first decided she wanted to leave Welch and move to New York City to become an artist, she got to work right away to raise money from painting posters for classmates and created projects for scholarships. Lori worked on numerous amounts of scholarships which had been ruined one way or another. Lori had spend days working on a clay bust of William Shakespeare for a literary society scholarship, but when Rex came home one afternoon, he smeared the mouth, ruining hours of hard work she put into her art. Instead of giving up there, she began painting posters and putting together different portfolios for other scholarships she'd entered which she eventually spilled coffee on and ruined. It wasn't until Rex had broken into her piggy bank and taken all of her savings that she began to lose hope in ever moving to New York. At this point in the memoir, Lori had the weight of the world on her shoulders because she knew that in order for her younger siblings to escape from Welch, she would need to leave first so they had a place to go. The photo of the girl embodies Lori's two lives, her past and her present. The wounds on the left represent Welch and every place before and what she endured during her childhood. While the bright array of colors is Lori's new life in New York City. ]]> 2020-12-14 19:19:00 UTC https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017514782 Broken Promises 3568941 https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017516465 Quote: “'No point in building a good house unless you can put down the right foundation.'” {Rex}
It was hard work but after a month we’d dug a hole deep enough for us to disappear in… But since we couldn't afford to pay the town's trash collection fee, our garbage was really piling up. One day dad told us to dump it in the hole. “'It’s a temporary measure.'” He explained he… But he never got around to that either, and as Brian and I watched, the hole for the Glass Castle’s foundation slowly filled with garbage.” (page 155)
Explanation: This photo of the two hands being cut while making a 'pinky promise' reflects all throughout "The Glass Castle" when Rex makes up excuses when he fails to go through with his promises. The photo below symbolizes the bond of two people being cut away after one breaks their promise. For example, when the Walls' first moved into their house on Little Hobart Street, Rex told Jeannette and Brian about his plans of building the Glass Castle and how he needed a proper foundation in order to begin, but first he needed to go over the plans. Being the proactive kids they are, Brian and Jeannette dig the foundation for the Glass Castle for a little over a month for their dad, and when the trash began to pile up in their house, Rex ordered them to begin filling the hole with garbage. This occurrence is merely one example of many in which Rex made promises to his family which he could not keep. 
]]> 2020-12-14 19:19:22 UTC https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017516465 Fantasy vs Reality 3568941 https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017518470 Quote: "'Count your blessings,' Mom said. 'There are people in Ethiopia who would kill for a place like this.' She pointed out that the house did have some attractive features. For example, in the living room was a cast-iron potbellied coal stove for heating and cooking. It was big and handsome, with heavy bear-claw feet, she was certain it was valuable, if you took it to a place where people appreciated antiques." (page 151)
Explanation: In the beginning of part three in "The Glass Castle", Rex and Rose Mary Walls are showing the children their new house, ninety three Little Hobart Street for the first time. To no surprise, Lori is skeptical from the start, and points out how much the house seems to be falling apart. In response to this, Rose Mary begins to point out the positives of the home, instead of the fact the house had no indoor plumbing, no chimney, and the glass in the windows were replaced with tin foil. The photo of the polar opposite point of views flawlessly represents Rose Mary and Rex's overly optimistic point of view and the children's realistic views on their situation. The left side with the bright, shining sun and the full blossoming tree with the angel is the way Rose Mary and Rex look on the world. Their outlook on their impoverished lifestyle is overly positive and believe that their entire life is an adventure. Meanwhile on the right side of the photograph, there are deep brown clouds with a dying tree and a gargoyle which represents the Walls' kids outlook on their lives. The kids have a more realistic view on what the situation is in their household, and they don't buy into the fantasies their parents create. Jeannette, Brian, and Lori are the level headed ones in the family who know a bad situation when they see one, and often have to bring their parents back to reality.]]> 2020-12-14 19:19:48 UTC https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017518470 Unconditional Love 3568941 https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017519704 Quote: "The next day when I got to the alley, the Mexican girls were waiting for me. Before they could attack, Brian jumped out from behind a clump of sagebrush, waving a yucca branch... 'Just back off now, and everyone can walk away with all their limbs still attached.'" (page 45)
Quote: "We told Brian about our escape fund, and he pitched in, even though we hadn't included him in our plans because he was only in the seventh grade." (page 224)
Explanation: Throughout "The Glass Castle", Brian and Jeannette have been inseparable and are always going exploring with each other to find treasures. Brian has shown deep, unconditional love for Jennette in different points in the book, either protecting her from bullies or contributing to her escape fund. In the beginning of the book when the kids are attending a new school, Jeannette gets jumped by a group of girls, and the following day when Jeannette is in the alley on her way home from school, the girls corner her again. This time, Brian hops out of the shrubs and stands up to the group of girls to get them away from Jeannette. Brian had seen Jeannette come home the previous day with bruises and scratches, and waited for them in the alley to help protect his big sister. Despite his bravery, Brian along with Jeannette, were outnumbered and beaten up by the girls. Brian demonstrated true, unconditional love because not only did he have the guts to stand up to a group of people bigger than he was, he stuck around and took the beating same as Jeannette instead of running away. Later in the memoir when Lori and Jeannette are first starting to expand their escape fund, they tell Brian about it and he immediately wants to contribute. He worked after school cutting weeds for neighbors, mowing lawns, and worked all day long on weekends just to help his sisters get to New York City, without expecting any recognition in return. After reading "The Glass Castle", it is safe to say that Brian Walls is the uniform definition of unconditional love and is easily one of the most selfless people in the memoir. The photo below of the young boy and girl holding hands in the woods perfectly symbolizes Brian and Jeannette's relationship and how protective Brian is of her. Brian was always proactive about helping her out when she needed it, even if she didn't ask. The little boy walks ahead holding his sister's hand to keep her close. These little actions show what a genuine hearted person Brian is, and his unconditional love to the people who matter most to him. ]]> 2020-12-14 19:20:05 UTC https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017519704 Self-Sufficiency 3568941 https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017521308 Quote: "The process involved some experimentation and several false starts. At first I simply used a rubber band. Before going to bed, I would stretch it all the way around the entire set of my upper teeth. The rubber band was small and thick and it had a good tight fit... I needed more advanced technology. I bent a metal coat hanger into a horseshoe shape to fit the back of my head. Then I curled the two ends outward, so when the coat hanger was around my head, the ends angled away from my face and formed hooks to hold the rubber band in place." (page 201)
Explanation: On page 200 to 202, Jeannette becomes self conscience about the way her teeth stick out and decided she needed braces. She knew there was no way her family could afford to go to the orthodontist and it would take her years to save up enough money, so being as resourceful as she is, Jeannette decided to create her own. The author lightly brushed on this topic in her memoir, but the fact she was able to create functional braces for herself is miraculous and truly shows how ingenious she is. At first Jeannette tried using a large rubber band tied around her top teeth, but she noticed it was pulling her back teeth forward, and had to come up with a plan B. Jeannette used a metal coat hanger to use as hooks for the rubber band so they would only push her top teeth back. This was just one example of how creative the Walls' kids were and if they wanted something, they would do anything and everything in their power to achieve it even if they didn't have the proper tools. The photo of the gears strongly represents Jeannette and the rest of the Walls' kids on several levels. Gears are sometimes associated with logical thinking and coming up with a creative solution to a large problem. The Walls' kids were also masters at tinkering with the odd items they had to work with. The photo of the gears symbolizes Jeannette and her creating braces for herself because coming up with the machinery and technique took an unbelievable amount of thought. To where most people probably would have given up at the thought of creating their own dental devices. ]]> 2020-12-14 19:20:27 UTC https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017521308 Manipulation 3568941 https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017523029 Quote: "'Hon, I need some money.' {Rex}
'For what?' {Jeannette}
'Beer and cigarettes.' {Rex}
'...He simply waited for me to fork over the cash, as if he knew I didn't have it in me to say no. And I didn't. I took out my green plastic change purse and pulled out a crumpled five and passed it over slowly.'
'You're a doll.' Dad said and gave me a kiss." (page 209)
Explanation: In "The Glass Castle", the audience is constantly a witness to Rex manipulating Jeannette throughout the course of the book. From pages 208 to 209, the narrator explains that Rose Mary and Lori are out of town on a trip which has left Jeannette the head of the household and in charge of the weekly expenses for the rest of the summer. When Rex comes home one afternoon and pries Jeannette for some money so he can go buy beer and cigarettes, she gives in. Despite this ruining her budget for the week, when Rex comes back for more money, Jeannette gives it to him because Rex praises her and says that he can always count on her. This quote relates to the photo below because Rex is constantly manipulating Jeannette as if she is his personal puppet who will follow his every command. He's always telling Jeannette that he loves her and doesn't know what he would do without her, but his actions do not back up his words. Rex has been deceiving Jeannette who unknowingly has invisible strings tied to each of her limbs, miming the actions her father influences her to do. ]]> 2020-12-14 19:20:49 UTC https://padlet.com/3568941/eqa2xp3gptgtvb5j/wish/1017523029