Comparing Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls And Frank Mccourt

In the world we live in today, an estimated 100 million people find themselves homeless and over 1.6 billion people lack adequate housing. For most, being homeless and in poverty is not the desired lifestyle and people work hard to have a constant roof over their heads, and food on the table. However, for a select few, living in poverty and being homeless is a life decision that they desire and enjoy. Both families in the memoirs Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt find themselves in extreme poverty. Neither Rex and Rose Marie Walls nor Angela and Malachy McCourt have the ability to feed, clothe, or house themselves and their families. Although both sets of parents are able to face the reality of their situation,

Rex and Rose Mary Wall chose the lifestyle of living in the lower class and they greatly enjoy it, even if there kids are unhappy. When Jeannette tells her mother that they can not continue to live their lives this way, Rose Marie says " ‘Why not? Being homeless is an adventure’"(Walls 255). Although the lifestyle that Rex and Rose Marie have chosen for themselves and their family has left them homeless and hungry, this is exactly how they want to be living. They get a thrill from moving from place to place, having to search for food, and shoplifting clothes. All of this gives their lifestyle excitement and makes it feel like an adventure along with making them happy. This contentment and happiness does not stop for the Walls even as their children grow up and have successful lives. After Jeanette has moved to New York and earned money she offers to help her mother and father who are still homeless on the streets of New York. Rose Mary responds “"You want to help me change my life? I'm fine. You're the one who needs help. Your values are all confused" (Walls 5). Even as Rex and Rose Mary watch their children grow up and escape their impoverished childhood, they still do not wish to change their lifestyle. They deny money from Jeannette because they are happy and content with searching for food and shelter each day in the streets of New York. Contrastly, Angela and Malachy McCourt are miserable and unhappy with their lives in poverty because they were thrown into that life and had no choice in it. This leaves to misery, and self pity from both Angela and Malachy. In the beginning of the memoir Frank talks about his childhood and says, “People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire” (McCourt 11). The poverty that the McCourts find themselves in, leaves the parents to