ipl-logo

Acceptance Speech: Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle

680 Words3 Pages

William Faulkner’s Acceptance Speech, performed at the Noble Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, December 10, 1950. “He is immortal, not because he alone… has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul… the writer’s, duty is to write about these things.” In his speech, Faulkner summarizes the duty of a poet, a writer, of man, not just entertain readers, but remind them of the hardships humanity has endured, and display this to a sense of pride, compassion, and glory. Thus brings us to Jeannette Walls’ and Annie Dillard’s novel The Glass Castle & An American Childhood. Both written work describes a childhood full of wax and wane that presents a variety of emotions throughout the reading but one unlike the other are very distinct …show more content…

She perfectly depicts the struggles, sufferings, and salvation that William Faulkner wanted writers to compel the readers with. Walls quoted Dylan Thomas, "Dark is a way and light is a place, Heaven that never; Nor will be ever is always true." She includes this quote because it represents the nature of her past, present, and future. The past that Walls went through with her dysfunctional family, that was like a gem in a pile of rocks. Although her past might be hard, she struggled and achieved the satisfying victory she accomplished in the present and future. Landing in New York and working hard unlike her mom or dad ever did in their life. The sense of darkness, that was the way for her, to everybody, but light is the place. A place where all your dreams come through and creates the person Walls is …show more content…

Dillard gives the insight of a girl that is imprisoned by society as a fix composition to serve her life as just one ordinary woman. This also presents the writer's purpose but it in a subtle way. "I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house and the place where dwelleth thy glory." Unlike The Glass Castle, Dillard's sense of struggles was completely different yet reasonable. She protested that even though she is a girl, she can be as magnificent as the other boy were perhaps even better. Yet during that time, society struggled to find that argument. In the quote lies the whole premises of Dillard's memoir. She had loved, not people but the place she grew up, and she loved the place where her glory was

Show More
Related
70 Words | 1 Pages

In literature and in life, misunderstandings create a divide in society. In “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, the Walls live a reckless lifestyle and frequently move around the country, as a result of their denial towards society. “Poetry” by Marianne Moore describes Moore’s complicated relationship poetry because it is often not true, raw emotion. “The Glass Castle” and “Poetry” are representative of the constant battle between self and society.

Read More
90 Words | 1 Pages

“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.” William Shakespeare. Throughout the course of life every individual faces immense hardships, some of which shape the entirety of their lives. Attributed to these adversities are an infinite number of decisions, each with a staggering effect on one's self as a whole, and therefore their identity. This is demonstrated in the memoir “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls in which she cites the tremendous adversity which has been brought upon by her two less-than-ordinary

Read More
758 Words | 4 Pages

Paul Ryan once said, “Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.” Individuals must strive upon excellence based on the society they are placed in. Watching how others react can help one become the best they can be. Throughout The Glass Castle, Jeannette is exposed to society by her parents. Her parents, Rex and Rose Mary, see society in different means than how others perceive it.

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

In this world, there’s learning things the hard way and the easy way; in Jeannette Wall’s world, there’s only learning things the hard way. The Glass Castle is an adventurous story that reveals the painfully miserable story of Jeannette Walls. A selfish mother, a careless father, and terrible social encounters- these are some of the elements of a harsh reality Rex and Rose Mary Walls failed to shield their children from. Growing up poor was already difficult, but growing up with a selfish parent, specifically an unfeeling mom, made life hell for the Walls children. The family barely had one source of income from Rex Walls, and instead of helping out with the family’s finance issues, Rose Mary spent her days at home painting.

Read More
1150 Words | 5 Pages

The Glass Castle Argumentative Essay The memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, is an inspirational, eye opening, and a giggling type of story. Although there are some problems in this story that she encounters in her early years, she uses these problems to better herself for what may lay ahead of her. I am writing about what I think of her parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, and if they are acceptable parents, or inadequate parents to Jeannette and her siblings Lori, Brian, and Maureen. I, however, do not agree that Rex and Rose Mary Walls are acceptable parents.

Read More
1129 Words | 5 Pages

The Nobel prize speech by William Faulkner and novel, As I Lay Dying , both enhance how the author intends to fulfill his own vision of the writer’s duty. Faulkner’s duty is to encourage writers to focus on problems that deserve attention which are not introduced in other texts. The tone of the Nobel prize speech is assertive yet grasping around the idea of the future for literature. Through both sources, Faulkner speaks not only to the writers, but the individuals that can be empowered by his words and actions. In the Nobel prize speech, Faulkner is directly speaking to writers who have a desire to follow his footsteps, which is writing.

Read More
1211 Words | 5 Pages

As a child, Jeannette Walls moves around constantly with her family. The Walls family would move to different desert towns and settle as long as Mr. Walls can hold a job. When sober, Mr. Walls represents a charismatic father who loves his children and teaches them important life skills. He encourages imagination inside of the Walls kids and often captures their dream and creativity. Together, the family had planned to build a glass castle that contains all of the family’s hope and inspiration.

Read More
1041 Words | 5 Pages

Author – Lynda Hull is the author of the poem “The Night Waitress”. Hull had been developing an impressive career in Literature when she died in a car accident. She was influenced heavily by Hart Crane, she had allegedly memorized his poems, as well as jazz musicians. Hull taught English in many universities and also served as Poetry Editor for a journal.

Read More
701 Words | 3 Pages

In the memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Jeannette manages to overcome her obstacles by realizing her independence. She is impacted by her parents’ incapabilities because she realizes that she has to do things differently than other children. Her father was a stubborn alcoholic who believed that: “[they] were all getting too soft, too dependent on creature comforts, and that [they] were losing touch with the natural order of the world”(Walls 106). He believes that every human should be independent and fend for themselves. By using the term “creature comforts”, her father is trying to separate himself from what he calls the civilians.

Read More
539 Words | 3 Pages

This demonstrates human resilience because she presses on with her life, despite being badly burned and being in a hospital for several weeks. She even gets on her feet and leaves the hospital with her father, despite not being completely healed from her burns. She also has the resilience to deal with her father’s irresponsible behavior when he refuses to pay the bill (Walls 14). Another part of the book where her resilience is demonstrated is when Walls’s family is traveling through the desert after refusing to pay the hospital bill. She has to put up with her father’s bizarre phobia of the government, as well

Read More
1273 Words | 6 Pages

Success: An Escape from Privation Inevitably, the conflicts people face at multiple points in their life is a determining factor in shaping individuals into the person they will eventually become. Namely, these conflicts direct people 's behavior over the course of time; contributing to a person’s ability to achieve success. In particular, Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle is an honest depiction of her life and the conflicts that arise throughout her state of impoverishment, as well as the success that stems from her hardships.

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

The Glass Castle is the life story of a girl, Jeannette Walls, and her siblings who grew up in poverty unnecessarily because of their parents’ irresponsibility. One of its themes is that strength and perseverance can significantly improve your chance at success and your future. The Walls children did not allow their childhood struggles prevent them from creating better and brighter futures for themselves. They all grew up impressively sane considering their living conditions.

Read More
1118 Words | 5 Pages

Furthermore, Walls’ enthusiasm about the Glass Castle, calling it “special” and “great”, communicates to the reader that this is what she perceives to be her dream in life. She believes that the

Read More
611 Words | 3 Pages

In The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls faces harsh stuff through her childhood because of her parents. In the beginning of the book she finds her mother digging through trash. She feels embarrassed, so she turns around and goes home without saying hello. Jeanette then calls her mother and asks to have dinner with her. She offers her mother help because she feels guilty, but her mother rejects her help.

Read More
849 Words | 4 Pages

It is evident that her childhood may have impacted her in a more severe psychological way. The book The Glass Castle is a very interesting narrative. The author Jeanette Walls is able to bring new light to circumstances that many people choose to ignore or overlook by writing about her own childhood. This gives the book a new perspective and allows the reader to gain insight.

Read More

More about Acceptance Speech: Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle

Related Topics

Open Document