The Glass Castle View by Cody Ashton

Dissapointment

3678841 — 2025-02-27 18:24:27 UTC

Towards the end of The Glass Castle, disappointment often shows up after Lori, Jeannette, and Brian come to see what their parents really are and aren’t. An example would be when Jeannette went to her bedroom in Welch and found that “someone had slashed him apart… and stolen all the money… I knew it was Dad.“ This quote and the image of the piggy bank Oz shows that Jeannette was disappointed to see her father, whom she respected the most out of the siblings, stoop as low as he did then.

Broken Promises

3678841 — 2025-02-27 18:28:40 UTC

In The Glass Castle, many promises are made to ensure smooth operations, but many start to fall apart over time. A noteworthy example would be when Jeannette gets pimped out by her father. After she escapes the situation and meets up with Rex, she gets mad about what he did to her, but he responds with “but i’d knew you’d do just fine.” This quote and the image of the broken money show that he broke a significant promise he made years earlier that “as long as he was around, we wouldn't have to defend ourselves.” This quote also shows that he was willing to break past promises to keep making money.

Self Sufficiency

3678841 — 2025-02-27 18:32:04 UTC

In The Glass Castle, Jeannette, Lori, and Brian all had to care for themselves since their parents often did not bring home food that night. Rex didn’t want “the government” to catch him, and Rose Mary wanted to focus on her art career. An example of this would be after people “throw away their lunch bags,” Jeannette would “go retrieve them.” This shows that she would not let delicious food go to waste; otherwise, she would eat less that day.

Unconditional Love

3678841 — 2025-02-27 18:35:28 UTC

Despite what Rex Walls does in The Glass Castle, he still loves all of his children. A proactive example of this would be towards the end of the book when Jeannette goes to his squat and recalls how even though Rex was a hell raiser, he still “loved me in a way no one else ever had.” This quote and the squat image representing where it took place show how even though it looks like Rex wasn’t loving, he was loving his kids. Jeannette also remarks that she cannot “imagine what my life would be like without him in it.” This quote also shows how she understands him and wants him to live despite all the troubles.

Nonconformity

3678841 — 2025-02-27 18:47:46 UTC

Nonconformity is present throughout the story in The Glass Castle as the parents preach it to their children and practice it themselves. An example would be when Rose Mary decides not to take Jeannette to the doctors for a cut on her thigh even though her neighbor recommends, she does, because in her words “We're becoming a nation of sissies.” This quote and image of the band-aid shows that Rose Mary does not want to be like the masses and take Jeannette to the doctors. Instead, she wants her to be strong and survive on her own.

Fantasy vs Reality

3678841 — 2025-02-27 18:59:30 UTC

Fantasy and Reality play a considerable role in The Glass Castle. A great example would be when Rex is told that he “can’t raise his own family.” This quote comes after an argument with Rose Mary about the food and money situation at home. It shows that Rex believes he is raising his family properly despite evidence from the family members themselves proving otherwise.