Individuality In The Glass Castle By Jeanette Walls

Development is something that no scientist can classify due to the individuality of the human race. Theories are constantly being disproven by people who do not follow the so called norms of society. Author Jeanette Walls is one such individual who causes even the most brilliant of researchers to question their work. She demonstrates through her novel The Glass Castle, that neglectful parents can produce successful offspring. The author describes her personal experiences with living on the streets and provides inspiration as she becomes more confident in herself and her decisions because of it. Therefore, one comes to the realization that Jeanette’s prosperous life does not come from love and encouragement, but instead is influenced by her

To illustrate, her family is constantly moving from one town to the next which forces Jeanette and her siblings to learn how to adapt. When her family arrives at a new town, Jeanette enrolls in new schools and lives in new neighbourhoods where everyone she meets is a stranger to her. In this way, her choices are limited, as she can decide to either welcome this new way of life or hold on to the old one. Additionally, Jeanette quickly learns the difference between fundamentals and extras as her parents leave everything behind except for what they need. “After a while, I forgot about Quixote and Tinkerbell and the friends I’d left behind in the trailer park. Dad started telling us about all the exciting things we were going to do and how we were going to get rich once we reached the new place where we were going to live” (Walls 18). Even though Jeanette must let go of the things she loves, she is always able to look at her future with excitement and optimism, thus she only needs to depend on

For example, when Jeanette is given bags of clothes by her teachers, her mother refuses to accept them because she does not want anybody’s pity. Jeanette’s parents do not wish to be seen as a charity case so they decline any assistance that they are offered. Similarly, when Jeanette or her siblings are frightened, her parents encourage them to tough it out instead of comforting them. Most lessons that the Walls parents teach are done so in the most extreme ways that require their children to develop a thicker skin so that they learn to face their problems head on. This lesson of overcoming challenges becomes evident when Jeanette and her father are demon hunting. “That was the thing to remember about all monsters, Dad said: They love to frighten people, but the minute you stare them down, they turn tail and run” (37). In the circumstance where the choices are to fight or to take flight, Jeanette’s parents teach their children to fight. Therefore, the focus that Jeanette’s parents have on personal strength allows her to figure out how to provide for and protect