The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls- A Review
The Glass Castle is the sort of book that leaves a lasting effect. The true memoir of Jeannette Walls follows her and her dysfunctional family as they struggle through extreme poverty and her father's alcoholism, in combination with his grandiose ideas for wealth and survival. Although they encounter many extreme obstacles throughout their life, the memoir shows the children growing from their situation and creating successful lives for themselves.
While this book is a true story, the writing style is so immersive and vibrant that it felt more like I was reading a sort of fairytale. Walls’s writing is packed with imagery and poeticism; her descriptions of the terrains and circumstances she encounters feel touched with a dash of whimsy, no matter how difficult or dismal the situation. When I was reading this book, I felt transported to Jeannette’s world. I felt the pain and confusion she experienced from her father’s grandiose plans and failures as a parent. I could feel the evening breeze and the dry heat of Arizona, and I could picture the stars in the clear desert sky. Her writing truly turned this story from a simple memoir to an immersive, heart-wrenching experience.
Left to Right: Lori, Brian, and Jeanette: 3 out of 4 of the Walls kids.
The most interesting and emotionally charged aspect of The Glass Castle in my opinion is the relationship between Jeannette and her father. Rex Walls has the kind of personality that seems almost manufactured to be written about. Despite his own rough childhood, struggling with poverty, and severe alcoholism, Rex Walls talks as though they will be delivered from struggle any second. He claims he will build a giant, glorious castle of glass for the family to reside in, equipped with anything and everything they may need. He is constantly revising the blueprints and assuring the family that it will be built in no time, but all the while he wastes their money on booze.
Rex, to me, is the epitome of a complex character. His love for his family is clear, although it may seem skewed at times. He is well aware of the havoc he creates when he’s on the drink, and he even tries to quit multiple times, one time in particular happening because Jeannette asks him to quit for her birthday. His efforts, while never truly realized, show the deep hurt he carries and the shame for his inability to provide a comfortable life for his family. The good side of him is evident throughout the story regardless of his faults. He constantly dotes upon his wife when he isn’t flying into a drunken rage, often praising her artwork and fighting anyone that calls her art worthless. He and Jeannette especially have a special connection that strikes a deep emotional cord.
Jeannette consistently supports her father and his dreams. She believes in her dad and his abilities to get the family out of the years-long rut they’re in and constantly sticks up for him. Rex gratefully accepts his daughter’s misplaced trust in his parental abilities, and their relationship, while close as daughter and father, also becomes rooted in the undying support and trust from his child. As Jeannette grows older and she and her siblings begin to realize that their father will never realize his goals and provide for the family, Jeannette seems to struggle with the concept the most out of all her siblings. She constantly questions her view of her father, and in turn, she feels guilty for doing so. She recognizes her role at a young age; her father’s emotional support child. When the time comes for her and her sister to begin saving their money to move away for a shot at a better life, Jeannette battles her feelings of pity and disappointment for her father with the feelings of love and care for the man that has raised her and found ways to make her young, impoverished life feel magical still at times.
When Rex asks Jeannette for money when her mother is away, Jeannette is forced ot either defy him and face the consequences or fork over what little cash she can spare out of their food budget. She tries to stay strong and deny her father the cash for booze, but in the end, she breaks down and he makes off with money that could have fed his children. The shame and guilt Jeannette feels afterward is astronomical, and no child should ever be faced with such a choice. Her attachment to her dad and place as the emotional support daughter causes an immense struggle for Jeannette. On the one hand, she knows she is one of the last people that Rex Walls feels loved and appreciated by and she does not want to ruin that relationship, but on the other hand she has realized his flaws and is angry at him for his neglect. The complexity of their relationship is a truly heartbreaking aspect of Jeannette Walls’s story, and my heart breaks for young Jeannette.
The fact that even as an adult, Jeannette still has contact with her parents (who live as homeless squatters in New York once their children all move to the city), is both baffling and inspiring. She was able to escape her living situation as a young girl and build a successful life for herself, while also overcoming the familial dysfunction and understanding that she cannot change the choices of her parents.
The Glass Castle is an incredible true story of resilience, dreams, and love. The Walls family was greatly flawed, but they had a strong bond and love for each other that allowed them to flourish in the future regardless of the circumstances they grew up in. The complexity of the family dynamics and their experiences throughout life makes for an incredible, raw story, and I would absolutely recommend the book to anyone! The book was adapted into a film starring Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, and while in my opinion it doesn’t hold a candle to the book, I still enjoyed it!
