Luisa- Glass Castle by Luisa PradaMendez-800009972

Social Class Lens

800009972 — 2025-01-29 20:37:32 UTC

How do economic conditions determine the characters' lives? The Walls family's extreme poverty dictates almost everything. Their lack of money forces them to live in dilapidated houses, scavenge for food, and constantly move. This instability shapes their emotional development and limits their opportunities, especially for the children.
What ideological values are explicit or implicit? Rex Walls's anti-establishment, individualistic ideology is very explicit. He preaches self-reliance and distrust of the government, even though his choices often harm his family. Rose Mary's artistic passions, though sometimes selfish, show a value placed on beauty and creativity even in poverty. The kids develop a strong sense of resilience and resourcefulness as a result of their circumstances.
Does the work explicitly embrace or reject socialism? The Glass Castle doesn't explicitly address socialism. While the Walls's poverty could be seen as a critique of social inequality, the book focuses more on their personal struggles and family dynamics. Rex's fierce independence and rejection of "handouts" arguably leans more towards a capitalist, though flawed, perspective.

Personal Reflection

800009972 — 2025-01-29 20:37:32 UTC

The first pages of "El Castillo de Cristal" were like a mirror in some aspects. I identified with the feeling of sometimes feeling invisible or as if it didn't matter much. I also understand what it's like to have to adapt to difficult situations and learn to manage on your own. However, my family is very different. We have always had a stable home and we have never been hungry.

What surprised me the most was seeing how Jeannette's family could live without many things that I consider essential. I find it hard to imagine what it would be like to live without electricity or without some food during the day. I also learned that people can be very creative and find ways to survive in very difficult situations.

Motif

800009972 — 2025-01-29 20:37:32 UTC

Poverty is a pervasive motif in the first 47 pages of "The Glass Castle." It's constantly present, affecting every aspect of the Walls family's life. They live in dilapidated houses, often without basic necessities like running water or electricity. Hunger is a constant companion, and the children learn to scavenge for food and rely on their own ingenuity to survive. The descriptions of their meager meals, the constant moving, and the lack of resources vividly illustrate the harsh realities of their impoverished existence. This constant struggle with poverty sets the stage for the rest of the story and highlights the resilience the children must develop to cope with their challenging circumstances.

Quote

800009972 — 2025-01-29 20:37:32 UTC

Context: This phrase is said by Rex Walls, Jeannette's dad, when they are in the desert. They are traveling in his old car and he is telling stories about how electricity is magic and how he is going to invent incredible things.

Why it caught my attention: It caught my attention because it's a weird phrase.

How can you forget yourself? For me, magic is something fun, like magic tricks. But for him, magic was something serious, like changing the world. And besides, at that moment they were in the middle of nowhere, and he spoke as if they were going to be rich and famous.

Formalist Lens

800009972 — 2025-01-29 20:37:32 UTC

4. Repetition: In the first pages, it is repeated a lot how Rex, the dad, is always talking about his great inventions and how they are going to be rich. This shows that he is more focused on his dreams than on the needs of his family, which is an important theme in the book.

5. Words: Jeannette uses very descriptive words to make you imagine how difficult life was. For example, when he describes the heat of the desert or how dirty everything was. This makes you feel like you're living those experiences with her.

9. Beginning and End (on the first pages): It is difficult to know how the book will end yet, but on the first pages you can already see that the family has many problems. This makes you wonder how they are going to overcome all those difficulties.