The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle is about four children and their mom and dad, who struggle to get by. They go from day to day with little food and barely a roof over their heads. In this book, it shows how children overcome little guidance and abusive parents while growing up. Jaennette introduces us to her father in the beginning of the book, Rex Walls. He is a father who can't provide for his family because he can't keep a job and focuses more on himself than his children or wife. In "The Glass Castle," Jeannette Walls portrays Rex as an alcoholic and reckless person, which has a negative effect on the Walls family.

Rex Walls is an alcoholic who values drinking and getting drunk over caring for and being present for his children. For example, when Rex comes

He shows this by not caring much when he is drunk and doing things like breaking dishes. For example, when "Dad jerked the steering wheel to one side and drove off the road into the desert" and also when "Dad stuck his head out the window as he drove, hollering at Mom, calling her a stupid whore" and a "stinking cunt" (pg. 27), Furthermore, he shows reckless behavior more when Jeanette comes home to put money in the piggy bank and it is slashed open with no money inside, but they know it is Rex, and he takes the money just so he can spend it on himself and buy himself booze. This trait of Rex being reckless comes from his addiction to alcohol, which causes him to act out. These actions show him as reckless because he does things for himself and doesn't care about the outcome or how it will affect his

This is shown by the fact that when he would come home recklessly drunk and breaking things, the kids would have to hide so they wouldn't get hurt by him when he was acting out. This caused Jeanette's relationship with her father to change because when he's drunk, she gets scared of him and doesn't know what he's capable of doing. This had a particular impact on Jeanette because she used to see her father as a hero who could do no wrong, but as she grew older, she began to notice he was a bad guy. Rex being reckless has caused the rest of the family to believe their dad is no longer trustworthy and perceive him as selfish and scary. They don't trust him anymore due to him stealing their money and breaking promises. They were frightened when they had to watch him chase Mom with a car and call her graphic names. These Rex characteristics have had a significant impact on the Walls family's relationship with their father and their perception of him as a