Throughout the first couple of pages, there is a reoccurring pattern in the main character, Jeannette's life as she and her family never had an established home. The effect of this pattern allows the reader to visualize the chaos and struggle of Jeannette Walls. As her life is visibly unstable, the audience that can relate is able to feel for the character during the memoir.

The writer's diction reflect the work's meaning because it shows the reality of unstable families. The inappropriate and causal language emphasizes the transparency of her memoir. It allows the readers to have raw reactions like she experienced throughout her life.

The author uses rhetorical strategies such as pathos to enhance the story. When Jeannette was 5 years old, the door of her father's car opened and she fell out. She described the horror, pain, and how terrified she was. This creates the mood of terror as she is a baby that went through such intense trauma.

The meaning of a text changes as you reread it due to the shift in one's perspective. Discussing the text with others and rereading it after allows the audience to perceive what the author is trying to convey in different ways.

My personal experiences of constantly moving and having a somewhat strict mother is affecting my perceptions of the story. I moved between New York and California and lived in many different places in both states. Due to my memories of that, I understand how it feels to constantly be on the move. My mother being somewhat strict also affects my perception because Rose Mary is such a care free, non-strict mother. She allows her children to do things that surprise me as my mother would never let my siblings or I even think about doing.

My values alter my perception of the text because I believe that children sometimes need to be guided and supervised to keep them safe. Since Rose Mary and Rex's parenting style is very nonchalant and has extreme freedom, sometimes her children get into trouble. Some examples of this is when Jeanette and Brian blew up the shed and all their father said to them was, "It's a place where no rules apply...You-all got a little close to it today." (Walls 61)