ipl-logo

The Glass Roses Analysis

1524 Words7 Pages

There are many young individuals that struggle with their own identity and individuality. Many of them have a hard time coping to figure out who they are and want to be. When a parent is raising a child they teach them their own set of morals and beliefs. In the short story “The Glass Roses” written by Alden Nowlan it shows the struggles of a fifteen year old boy who is trying to live up to his father’s expectations to make him proud. Stephen’s partner, Leka, teaches him that it is important to be your own individual and not let anyone shape who you want to be by sculpting you own ideals and values. Stephen wants to have the choice to gain his own set of values and ideals that will steer his life showing that he has begun to find a path to …show more content…

The stories Leka has told Stephen have really opened his eyes and mind to the idea of beauty which was something he has never considered before. Leka believes a real man is sensitive and expressive of his emotions. “There is not much room in the world for glass roses.” Initially, Stephen doesn’t see the value in something like glass roses. The reason Leka emphasizes the significance of the glass roses is to reinforce the idea that even though something is fragile it can still be valuable. This presents a huge shift in thinking for Stephen and places value on things that would not be helpful in his current environment. The connotation of the flowers alludes to beauty, delicacy, and love and they have a symbolic emphasis on the fact that they are fragile. Both the roses and Stephen are described with innocence. Stephen’s willingness to explore other perspectives and realize his own identity ultimately allows him to gain independence and make choices which reflect his personal truths. “When the Polack began to tremble and moan, Stephen hesitated for a long time before he reached out to wake him.” When Stephen’s father tells Stephen to stay away from Leka he decided to go against him by waking Leka up from his nightmares. Therefore, Stephen begins to realize the importance of his friendship with Leka. He is showing compassion towards Leka despite his father’s words. Therefore, When Stephen hesitates before waking up Leka it is a moment of internal conflict where he struggles to choose between following his own values/beliefs and giving into his father’s expectations. By waking Leka up, it becomes clear that he has decided to stay true to himself and that he has gained the ability to choose who he wants to

Show More
Related
425 Words | 2 Pages

It’s enough said growing up knowing who you are, but that luxury isn’t always common. Pearl, the daughter of a sinner grows up hearing what people think she is right from the time she was born. Hester her mother, doesn’t make it easier because the words they speak is true. Her mom should give her away because, she’ll be reminded of her sin, Pearl will grow up differently, and also Pearl won’t truly be Puritan. Although, Pearl could care less about that stuff imagine what her life could’ve been.

Read More
52 Words | 1 Pages

Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of foreign people or ideologies, and is the forefront theme in the short story The Glass Roses by Alden Nowlan. Deeper than the idea of unsolicited hatred in society, is the idea of support and understanding which is heavily influenced by the aforementioned prevailing theme: xenophobia.

Read More
372 Words | 2 Pages

“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.” William Shakespeare. While everyone struggles through adverse situations, those who choose to act in a positive manner can shape their lives entirely for the better. Through such inevitable struggles we build who we are as people by developing in both an emotional and physical sense, shaping who we are, and how we behave. This is illustrated in the memoir “The Glass Castle” written by Jeannette Walls in which she and her siblings are faced with immeasurable struggles through which they develop into independent adults.

Read More
1348 Words | 6 Pages

Parents have a profound influence on shaping their children’s personalities through their attitudes and actions. This is because children spend a substantial portion of their formative years under their parent’s care and guidance. During this period, they observe and interact with their parents, internalizing various behaviors, beliefs, and values that mold their character. This concept is clearly illustrated in the memoir The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. This memoir depicts the author’s unconventional upbringing with their parents, Rex and Rosemary.

Read More
562 Words | 3 Pages

The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls is a memoir that describes her abnormal if not completely insane upbringing. The story is one that the reader would assume be a fiction, that no parents are that lacking in their authority or so cavalier as to not care if their elementary aged children roam the streets of Phoenix in the dead of night, but the emotion and depth that is felt by each written word can not be written by a person who had not lived through the events that take place. Throughout the novel Jeannette comes to realize that what she loved about her parents as a child would both terrify and annoy her only years later, and while she tries hard to bring her family together somethings can never be fully rectified, but she can prosper nonetheless.

Read More
1819 Words | 8 Pages

The story shows how the impact of motivations created by others influenced Stephen's way of thinking. Additionally, Stephen's conflict of motivations between what he desires for himself and what his father desires for him was affected when he met Leka. During the duration of one's life, standards and criteria are set up by their parents. When one is growing up their parents motivate them and guide them to become the best version of themselves. This version of themselves is set up by the parent's beliefs and values.

Read More
786 Words | 4 Pages

The Glass Castle is a memoir written by Jeannette Walls that describes the story of how she came from being a less fortunate child to having a top ten book of the year according to the New York Times. The story focuses on Jeannette and her underprivileged family. The Glass Castle is closely related to Walt Disney’s quote “I don't believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motion pictures. I didn't treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature.

Read More
575 Words | 3 Pages

Jeannette was neglected, beaten, and starved all throughout her childhood. She lived without a home, money, and enough food to get by and also managed, against all odds, to fight for her ambitions. The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeannette Walls, depicts the hardships of her upbringing by her nomadic, undependable parents, yet also her ability to persevere into a successful and aspiring young woman. As a young girl, Jeannette was always travelling due to her unstable parents and living on edge in fear of her parents’ outbursts. When she was the tender age of five, she actually recalls thinking fondly of her dad, always being his little “mountain goat”.

Read More
107 Words | 1 Pages

Kindness is often overlooked in society yet it still manages to hold a great deal importance in the lives of many. Kindness is an empowering emotion that can change perspectives and alter destinies. In The Glass Roses by Alden Rowan the true importance of kindness is personified throughout the story. In the story Stephen is encapsulated by the kindness of his fellow worker and greatly impacts Stephan’s ability to determine his own destiny. The Glass Roses shows that individuals tend to hide their true emotions in order to gain respect from their peers however kindness, once truly unveiled can play a huge role in determining ones destiny.

Read More
873 Words | 4 Pages

Loss of Innocence In John Updike’s “A&P” and Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” the two authors illustrate difficult initiations teenagers face while they realize the harshness of society around them. Updike’s “A&P” explores the inner thoughts of a teenage boy, Sammy, who makes the tough decision to quit his job at the local A&P and realizes the bitterness of the world. Similarly, Bambara’s “The Lesson” explores the inner thoughts of a teenage girl, Sylvia, who realizes the value of money and clash of social classes through a field trip to a toy store. Although the protagonists are a part of different societies, they share similarities in character development through parallel epiphanies.

Read More
1455 Words | 6 Pages

Out of 15 million children, 21% live in families with incomes that are below the federal threshold. It is not uncommon for these children to work hard to create a better life for themselves, a life which their parents couldn’t create for them. In the Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, the story encaptures the transition from childhood to adulthood and the need for change along the way, which is a stage in life that everybody goes through. Jeannette's need comes from the irresponsibility of her parents, their lack of self-sufficiency and grasp from the real world. There are times in our lives (for others like Jeannette it may be earlier), when there is no choice but to grow away from our parents and go out into the real world on our own in

Read More
447 Words | 2 Pages

In the memoir of The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls, parenting capabilities are not the finest. Anne Frank once said, “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” Although Jeannette Walls’ parents did not give their children good advice at times, they loved them very much; however, two damaging characteristics of their parenting style, selfishness and carelessness, almost destroyed the family and certainly cast a shadow over their childhood. When George Eliot said, “Selfish— a judgment readily passed by those who have never tested their own power of sacrifice,” he was describing a character trait of Jeanette's mother.

Read More
948 Words | 4 Pages

The rose bush grew just outside the prison doors and has been there for a very long time. It is seen as imperfect because, while it may look beautiful, each rose has its own thorns. Hawthorne explains, “It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (Hawthorne 46). This quote shows that the rose bush can be interpreted differently by every reader. It can be seen as good or bad because it is by the prison and has thorns, but it also has beauty.

Read More
730 Words | 3 Pages

Alice Walker the author of the Flowers”, was inspired to write this story because of the tragedy that has happened to multiple black Americans and how it has affected their human rights. This story describes scenery that may have happened around South America starting off with a girl named Myop, a ten-year old girl who explores the world around her, unaware of the secrets the world beyond holds. In the first paragraph, Alice Walker clearly emphasises Myops purity and young innocence with the quote “She skipped lightly from hen house to pigpen.” This demonstrates how happy Myop is in this setting, we can identify she feels safe here, “ She felt light and good in the warm sun.”

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

The experiences people go through impact the way the see world and those around them. Children are raised by their parents and witnesses to the triumphs and failures. When the age comes many often question their parent’s decisions. Some may feel bitterness and contempt while others may feel admiration and motivation. The “Sign in My Father’s Hands” by Martin Espada conveys the feeling of being treated as a criminal for doing the right thing.

Read More

More about The Glass Roses Analysis

Open Document