https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife Themes in The Glass Castle By Alexis Murphy period 3 en-us 2022-12-05 19:31:19 UTC 2022-12-09 07:02:37 UTC hello@padlet.com 3696472 https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2411214927 Disappointment is a theme that is repeated often throughout this book. 

For example, disappointment plays a role in the book when the family doesn't have much food to eat. When Jeannette said "I guess we can eat less, We have before." (page 67) Jeannette's parents don't make it a priority to take care of their own children. Her own mom would hide under the covers and eat a chocolate bar and keep it all to herself. Another example of disappointment in The Glass Castle is when Lori complains to Jeannette that Rex needs to stop spending the family's money. Their own father had stole from his own kids. Rex stole money from OZ (their piggy bank). This shows disappointment because the dad only cares about himself and not the family. All he does is spends everyone's money. Rosemary gets a stable job and works to help her family but it's not enough. The reason why I chose this picture is because in their house there is barely anything for them to eat. They had to live off of eating butter or even nothing a few days a week. It's disappointing that their kids have to take care of themselves because their parents don't care as much. ]]> 2022-12-06 19:50:19 UTC https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2411214927 3696472 https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2411222549 Children who have been neglected by their parents come of age more quickly than those who have someone that cares about them. 

Jeannette had to come of age very quickly because her parents didn't care to make an effort of making their children a priority. Jeannette was the one to become  mature and care for her siblings. Jeannette was three years old when she was cooking hot dogs and she burned herself. Jeannette tells the nurse when she's in the hospital, "Mom says I'm mature for my age, and she lets me cook for myself" (page 11). The nurses were concerned that she was cooking by herself at such a young age. It is not normal for a little girl that young. I chose this picture because the parents neglected their children so throughout the book all they had was each other. ]]> 2022-12-06 19:57:48 UTC https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2411222549 3696472 https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2411238083 Broken promises make people lose trust in others if you don't stick to your word. 

When Jeannette was young her dad promised to build her a Glass Castle. The Glass Castle represents Rex's hope for a great life and that he can provide everything for his family. Rex goes through the details of the castle but never keeps his word and doesn't go through with it. Jeannette still had hope until she got older. Rex fails to work on the glass castle so Brian and Jeannette started it. As they dug the foundation of the glass castle, overtime it just got filled with trash. She then finally realizes that the Glass Castle will not be built. Jeanette stated "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. ‘But that’s for the Glass Castle,’ I said. ‘It’s a temporary measure,’ Dad told me. He explained that he was going to hire a truck to cart the garbage to the dump all at once. But he never got around to that, either, and as Brian and I watched, the hold for the Glass Castle’s foundation slowly filled with garbage.” (page 155) Jeannette is very determined, she never gives up and is always very hopeful. Since Rex didn't care to keep his promise, now Jeannette doesn't rely on her parents to do anything for her and that she does everything for herself.The picture I chose shows broken glass. I chose this picture because once glass is broken you can't just piece it back together and it looked the same before it was broken. Broken glass represents how Jeannette relied on her dad to do something that he promised but never did. This shows that he hurt Jeannette on the inside and she can never trust him how she used to. ]]> 2022-12-06 20:11:52 UTC https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2411238083 3696472 https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2413930849 Nonconformity is a strong form of self expression and defiance.

 At Emmerson (Jennette, Brian, and Lori's new school) they have their own nurse who gave them their first ever ear and eye exams. Jeannette had passed the tests but Lori struggled reading the charts. The nurse sent their mom a note saying that Lori needed glasses but she did not agree. Rosemary thought "glasses were like crutches. They prevented people with feeble eyes from learning to see the world on their own." (page 96) This quote represents that Rosemary thinks glasses will weaken the eyes even more. She believes that her eyes will adjust and get stronger without them. Many people have told Rosemary that Lori needed glasses but she always refused. This shows nonconformity because no matter how much the nurse told Rosemary that her daughter needs glasses she didn't conform. Soon they sent another note home saying that Lori can't go to school unless she wore glasses. The school said they would pay for them so her mom finally agreed to get Lori glasses. Ever since Lori had gotten glasses she could see a lot better and wanted to start painting just like her mom. Rex was talking to Jeannette and told her "those braces are a goddamn feat of engineering genius." (page 202) This quote talks about how Jeannette decided that she needed braces but her mom and dad wasn't able to afford them. Jeannette thought that since she's been babysitting she would be able to pay for them, but she had no clue how much they cost. She decided to make her own braces. Rex saw the braces she made and was proud of her for finding a solution but in reality it can be very dangerous. She uses rubber bands and a metal coat hanger and Rex thought that was completely ok.  I chose this pictures because it represents a person not conforming to business culture and that person does what they want. Just like how Rosemary didn't agree to Jeannette having glasses. ]]> 2022-12-08 06:19:27 UTC https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2413930849 3696472 https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2413931681 Many times self sufficiency is learned out of necessity.    

Jeannette was left at home alone while Rex and Rosemary left to go to Phoenix. Child services came to the door and Jeannette answered. They came to ask her about her family and living conditions. She told them to come back once her parents come back. Once her parents came back she told Rosemary what had happened and they had to act fast so that child services won't take them away. Rosemary says to Jeannette “Jeannette, you're so focused it's scary.” (page 195) Jeannette is motivated to keep her family safe and to protect them. She shows self sufficiency because she feels need like she has to be in charge of her family. It's up to her because her own parents can't keep up with the real world especially because they are unreliable.This picture represents Jeanette when she had to cook for herself at three years old. It shows that even from a young age she was very self sufficient. ]]> 2022-12-08 06:20:31 UTC https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2413931681 3696472 https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2414043550 One of the most important themes in the Glass Castle is forgiveness. 

Jeannette and her siblings always forgave their parents for their irresponsible actions. No matter how bad the situation was, they all still loved them even though their parents didn't deserve anything from their kids. Towards the end of the story Jeannette meets her father for the last time. She forgives her dad for all the bad things that had happened to her and her siblings because of him. Her dad used her for money. Jeanette said she forgives him for "all the hell raising and destruction and chaos he has created in her life." Jeannette also states "I could not imagine what my life would be like without him in it. As awful as he could be, I always knew he loved me in a way no one else ever had."(page 279) This quote shows that he made all those mistakes and put his daughter through a lot but she still forgave him. This picture represents the family being able to forgive and move on from incidents or promises that were made.  Even though her dad didn't keep his word she is still able to move on when she was still hurt inside.]]> 2022-12-08 08:34:46 UTC https://padlet.com/3696472/v7vz2g7a91aciife/wish/2414043550