The Glass Castle: Review Package
Characters
Jeannette Walls
Jeannette is a major character and the protagonist. She is a round, dynamic character,
and the memoir focuses on her development and maturity. She is Rex Wall's favourite
daughter because of her forgiving nature. Despite her father's destructive nature, she
chooses to be optimistic and positive. Through her early childhood, she chooses to
ignore her father's drunken escapades, and thinks of him as a loving father and excellent
teacher of the wild. It isn't until her junior year of high school that she realizes the
indisputable flaws her father has. She uses her intelligence to eventually move away
from her parents and Welch. She is a natural forgiver and it shows even when she
moves away from her parents.
Jeannette's early character is somewhat timid and a fan of conformity. She writes,
"Since I wanted the other kids to like me, I didn't raise my hand all the time" (Wells 58).
She goes on to move to New York City away from her parents after junior year with her
own effort and resources. Jeannette changes from a child who is affected by others'
opinion of her into an adult mature enough to make life-changing decisions for herself
without concern for the status quo. She is motivated by success and by increased
chances in the world outside of Welch, where she is constrained by others' closedmindedness. Jeannette is a symbol of the resilience and perseverance of humanity.
Rex Walls
Rex is the father of Jeannette, Lori, Brian, and Maureen Walls. He can be considered an
antagonist due to the fact that he hinders Jeannette's plans by spending the money she
saved and preventing her and her family from living in less deplorable conditions. He is
brilliant and full of life when he is not drinking, but his alcoholism is quite plainly
destructive. It can be inferred that the reason Rex drinks is because of his own
childhood. Rex was possibly molested or otherwise abused by his mother as a child. He
had a special place in his heart for Jeannette, because she would forgive him for
whatever destruction he caused. Rex leaves the family for days on a drinking binge. He
is deceitful and deceptive. Rex's few attempts at staying sober all eventually fail,
demonstrating a weakness that is a central part of his character. Jeannette comes to
despise his alcoholism and leaves once she is able to escape him. He finally makes
peace with Jeannette by the time he dies in the book.
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Throughout the novel he reveals astronomical plans of how to earn money so he can
build the Glass Castle for Jeannette and the family. Before she leaves, Jeannette tells
him he "will never build the Glass Castle" (238). This is a symbol of his extraordinarily
high hopes, which always seem to vanish whenever he drinks. His plans never follow
through and throughout the whole book he demonstrates a lack of resolve.
Rex cares about his family, telling Jeannette that he moved to New York "so we could
be a family again" (253). However, his inability to resist the temptation of alcohol means
that, though he has good intentions, these intentions will never reach fruition. Rex is
motivated by alcohol and by his desire for his family's self-sufficiency. He represents, in
many ways, the downfall of humanity without a sense of discipline.
Rose Mary Walls
Jeannette's mother is a free spirit who once declared, "I don't want to be pigeonholed"
(38). She has essentially no regard for others' opinions of her and is an unsuccessful
artist who frequently prioritizes her art over her children, with the possible exception of
Lori, who also exhibits artistic tendencies. Rose Mary exhibits selfishness, once hiding
money to buy chocolate while the rest of her family starved. She frequently displays a
lack of remorse for her actions and doesn't seem to care how her whims affect the rest
of the family.
Rose Mary could also be considered an antagonist for the same reasons as Rex - she
is often impeding Jeannette and her siblings' future and quality of life. She refuses to
earn any money for the family, instead relying on income that is at least partly earned by
Jeannette. When Jeannette finds a valuable ring, she offers to help sell it, but Rose Mary
refuses, stating, "It could also improve my self-esteem. And at times like these, selfesteem is even more vital than food" (186). Rose Mary is motivated by her own desires
and is a symbol of the debilitating nature of selfishness on others.
Brian Walls
Brian is Jeannette’s younger brother and closest friend. As children, they are together
nearly constantly. Later, Jeannette helps Brian move to New York just like Lori did for
her. He is the only one who comes to Jeannette's college graduation, which marks his
loyalty for her. Brian struggles with Rex from the very beginning, and doesn't see how
Jeannette can look past it. He didn't share his feelings with his dad by confronting him,
but instead mumbled what he was thinking under his breath. He did not have the
courage of Lori to confront Rex or the forgiveness of Jeannette to leave the issues
alone. Towards the end of the book, Brian allows Rex to stay with him in NYC, showing
how he remains protective and loving towards his family throughout the memoir.
Lori Walls
Lori is Jeannette's older sister and the sibling closest to their mother. As she grows
older, she becomes more aloof and distant. She is the one who hatches the plan with
Jeannette to run away and the first to leave Welch. Often she assumes the role of the
parent, as she does when the four children are staying with Erma: "'Let's all calm down,'
Lori said in the same voice she used when Mom and Dad got carried away, arguing.
'Everybody. Calm down'" (147). Lori provides the voice of reason. She is a talented
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artist and becomes more successful than her mother without having to be as selfish,
offering proof that the selfish way of life is not a necessity for success. She is also a
representative of triumph, as she was the courageous one to move away from the
destructive environment in Welch.
Maureen Walls
Maureen is the youngest sibling by five years and not particularly close to anyone in
the family, it seems, due to her age difference. Maureen is essentially raised by the
neighbours as she spent most of her time with other families in Welch. She is described
as beautiful, but not very self-sufficient, unlike the values her parents attempt to instill in
her. Jeannette writes, "Ever since she was a kid, she'd been looking for someone to take
care of her" (274). Maureen is a fairly static character who takes the role of the one who
needs protection. Her relationship with Jeannette brings out Jeannette's nurturing
tendencies. Late in the book, Maureen and Rose Mary have an argument, resulting in
Maureen stabbing her mother. Jeannette notes that everyone "blamed the others for
allowing the most fragile one of us to break into pieces" (276). Maureen inherited some
of her mother's selfishness and some of her father's charm, but is the most mysterious
character in the family.
Erma Walls
Erma is Rex's mother who possibly abused him as a child. Erma is cruel in nature and
she attempts to abuse Brian when hemming his britches. She is the character who first
sets the downfall of events in Welch. She is bitter towards her grandchildren and
children, and has different morals than Jeannette. She is racist and resents Jeannette
for being friends with Dinitia. Erma is a static antagonist. When she dies, the entire
family attends her funeral, and both of Jeannette's parents challenge the children with
the notion that nobody is entirely bad. The children, however, happily chant, “ding dong
the witch is dead!”
Symbolism
The Glass Castle symbolizes: _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
The glass castle encapsulates the extent to which the children’s father, Rex, preferred to
romanticize and theorize rather than live practically and represents, then, his idealistic
nature. Also, glass is unstable and can shatter. This shows that Rex desired an
unachievable lifestyle; a lifestyle that could fall to pieces at any moment. This castle was
his design of a dream home and he carried the blueprints around whenever the family
moved on. His failure to carry through the plans highlights how rooted he was in
dreams. The fact that he drew up these plans reminds the readers of his intelligence,
but also of his shortcomings, as they never came to realization. These shortcomings
are emphasized when Jeannette and Brian attempted to dig foundations for the castle,
and their father tells them to throw their garbage in the hole, rather than pay to have it
removed. Though the physical structure is never built, the symbol the glass castle
represents remains with Jeannette in her childhood, and helps her to believe that her
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father will do what he promises. When she discovers that this is not always true and
realizes that the glass castle will never actually be built, she has reached adulthood.
The Joshua tree symbolizes: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
The Joshua tree may appear dysfunctional like the Walls family, but beneath the
dysfunction is love that thrives on hardships, just like the tree. The tree that Rose
Mary spots in the desert is indicative of the effect the struggles of life have on each of
the characters in the memoir. Constantly blown by wind, the Joshua tree grows
sideways, not upwards and, as Rose Mary declares, becomes beautiful because of its
struggle. The Walls children can be seen as individual Joshua trees, their lives shaped
by the constantly blowing wind of their parents' frequent moves and questionable habits.
Jeannette tries to resist this force at first when living in New York City. She does not
want anyone to know about her past or judge her for allowing her parents to remain
homeless. However, her attempts to grow upwards despite the constantly blowing wind
are averted and she eventually succumbs, like the Joshua tree, and holds tightly to her
“roots”, finally allowing her struggle to be heard.
The Stars symbolize: ____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
As a child, Jeannette's parents could not afford Christmas gifts, so instead, her father
gave the children stars: “’Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long
forgotten,' Dad said, 'you'll still have the stars'" (41). Rex and Rose Mary emphasize the
importance of the beauty of nature and the kindness between individuals, rather than
material items. When life is a struggle and the Walls kids have nothing for Christmas,
Rex gives them the greatest gift of all, love. Although the stars aren't physical gifts, they
are a powerful gift of love. When all else fails, Jeannette can look up to the sky and
always know her father's love and a bright future is near. Stars, like love, are constant
and symbolize hope.
The Fire symbolizes: ____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Fire symbolizes the unending cycle of poverty and disappointment the family
undergoes - as soon as something positive happens, it is dashed by disaster. Fire
resurfaces frequently as a theme in The Glass Castle. As Jeannette suspects, it follows
her around, becoming a fixture in her life. The very first, and perhaps most pivotal fire
inspires Jeannette's first memory, of being burned while cooking hot dogs at the age of
three. Though she suffers extreme injuries, fire becomes a fixation for Jeannette, who
cannot keep herself from playing with it and watching it. The work contains a number of
other fires that claim houses, sheds, and injure other characters. It can be said to
represent a trend of chaos that is both natural and staged by man. Throughout her life,
Jeannette has fought numerous fires or battles. She overcame terror, homelessness,
starvation, and abuse. Fire represents Jeannette’s resilience: she fought fire with a
fighting spirit, and just like when she burned herself as a child, she pulled through.
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The nickname Mountain Goat symbolizes: ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Mountain Goat is Rex's nickname for Jeannette, his favourite child. The nickname
refers to Jeannette's perseverance in face of trouble. Like a mountain goat, she is able
to climb mountains without losing her footing. Jeannette is the only child given a
nickname by her father. The endearment implies a special relationship between her
and her father that the other children could not share with Rex. Additionally, the
nickname foreshadows Jeannette's persistence and endurance when she realizes that
her and her siblings must live apart from their parents if they are to ever lead stable,
fulfilling lives.
Themes
Laissez-Faire Culture
Both Rex and Rose Mary Walls exhibit the behaviour of adults who refuse to conform
and also avoid offering forms of control. Instead, they are described as preferring to let
their children learn from mistakes, however dangerous this might be. There is also a
strong suggestion that the parents were childlike and had little care for responsibility.
Depending on one’s perspective, their treatment of their growing children may be seen
as entirely neglectful or, and as Jeannette appears to believe, this neglect was tempered
by a care that was shaded by a laissez-faire attitude (which depends on little
involvement or interference). Her parents’ preference for counter-culture influenced the
way they treated their children, and this is seen to both allow their children to expand in
terms of the way they thought and studied, but also meant that they were always on the
margins of mainstream society.
Poverty and Perseverance
This memoir not only highlights the moral debates over whether Jeannette’s parents
were good, bad, or indifferent, but also depends on the traditional story of the American
Dream for its popularity with the reading public. This is drawn upon in Jeannette’s
narrative of personal achievement, in terms of wealth and fame, and also in the wider
story of how she and her siblings escaped from the poverty they had been raised in by
sheer determination. It is only through hard work that Jeannette, Lori, and Brian are
reincarnated in New York City, and because of this, they represent the ideal embedded
in the American Dream.
Gender Roles
Rex can’t abide any loss of control over the family and Rose Mary can’t take control of it.
Rex has the need to prove he is the man of the house; he makes a big deal about
bringing Brian and Jeannette lunch at school and he displays exhibition of sexuality in
front of Brian when he takes him to the Green Lantern. His inability to cope affects all
three children. Lori and Brian are disappointed by and resent Rex, whereas refuses to
give up on her father’s dreams.
Self Sufficiency
Even during their hardest times, Rex and Rose Mary Walls refuse to become charity
cases. They do not even accept help from their children in their late adulthood. The
value of being self-sufficient descends mainly from Rose Mary, whose upbringing in an
incredibly disciplined home leads her to forgo the rules when she becomes a mother.
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Her children, she insists, must learn how to be self sufficient and strong. They should not
rely on society or doctors or anything else to help them through life. Even when they fall
ill or injure themselves, Rose Mary prefers to treat the wound at home rather than cater
to what she considers a false need to visit the hospital. Though the Walls value selfsufficiency, they are not always able to maintain it, and sometimes their methods are not
sufficient for survival at all. There is a belief that a person should take care of himself or
herself. They are willing to put the children in harms way believing overcoming obstacles
is key to instilling their children with a strong sense of self and a reliance of self. Rose
Mary conflicts with her own belief because she doesn’t help with her children’s hunger
by getting a job. She values her own freedom more and wants Rex to be the responsible
one to provide food and shelter so she can do what she feels is important.
Nonconformity
Rex and Rose Mary Walls also insist that their children are special and that they need
not conform to the societal norm. Rex is even a little saddened when his son Brian joins
the Police Force, what Rex considers "the Gestapo." Nonconformity also impacts the
elder Walls' relation to authority. Neither of them is capable of taking orders from
authority very well. Rex gets into arguments and fights with bosses and law
enforcement, and Rose Mary struggles to conform to the idea of a teaching job. She
prefers the carefree and self-defined life as an artist, which does not force her to
conform to another person's style or schedule beside her own.
Forgiveness
Jeannette always forgives her mother and father for their mistakes and finds a way to
welcome them back into her heart. Forgiveness decreases her anger and makes her
general attitude to be more positive, optimistic, and joyful.
At the ending parts of the story when she meets her father for the last time she forgives
him for “all the hell-raising and destruction and chaos he [has] created in [her life].” She
says, “I could not imagine what my life would be like - without him in it. As awful as he
could be, I always knew he loved me in a way no one else ever had” (279).
Jeannette always forgives her parents for whatever they are going through and show the
readers if people refuse to forgive others, they relegate themselves to living in the past
and never being in the present moment, where all the good things in life happen.
Growing Up
The most mature and responsible people in a family are the children, not the parents.
The Walls’ children learn to fend for themselves and protect each other while living with
two adults who either drank too much or left them to raise themselves.
Fearlessness and Loyalty
The children learn very early in their lives that they must have courage to face the
adversity their parents have forced on them and believe that no matter how great the
adversity, they must always be loyal to every family member, for family is everything.
Appearance
How things look on the exterior is more valued than doing the work required to uphold
that value. Rex’s attitude toward “Pervert Hunting” shows him to be only superficially
concerned about his children's safety. When he hears about the intruder who attempted
to molest Jeannette, he decides to take Brian and Jeannette on a hunt for the "pervert,"
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even though their chances of catching him are slim. This method, paired with Rex and
Rose Mary’s refusal to lock the doors, only addresses the problem superficially; the hunt
does not make any of the children any safer. Rather it instills in the children some of
Dad's elaborateness — he has more faith in the guise of bravery and manliness than in
doing what's actually required to achieve those qualities; for instance, he'd rather go on
a "hunt" than simply lock the doors to his home.
Hardship
Adversity can both create and mend divisions within a family. The foundation for the
glass castle eventually becomes a garbage dump. The unfinished paint job on the house
shows how individual endeavors in the family often don’t amount to anything because
each member of the family is tied to the rest in order to survive; it becomes impossible
for a one family member to change his life or family status without threatening the family
structure. The Battle of Little Hobart Street is positive, however, as Brian and Jeannette
rally together to fight; showing they don’t have money, but they have resourcefulness.
While much of their childhood is filled with hunger and suffering, they learn the value of
teamwork and independent thinking.
Hypocrisy (Parents’ Selfish Behaviour)
Rex’s increased absence from the home forgoes his parental responsibility and plunges
family into more suffering. He advocates for the value of independence and selfsufficiency yet is incapable of fulfilling these ideals. Rose Mary’s selfishness contributes
to children’s constant hunger. She chooses not to help her family. Rose Mary lugs bags
of books from the library, yet she can’t go and look for a job or help the children find coal
to stay warm. She hides food from the hungry children to keep for herself. She claims
she is an addict to rid herself of responsibility for her actions. Rose Mary keeps the ring
that is found instead of pawning it for food. The parents’ hypocritical behaviour isolates
them from their children; the children seek ways to survive on their own with no help
from parents. Brian and Jeannette scour the woods for dry wood, Lori stokes the fire with
kerosene, and Maureen abandons her family to find solace in the families of friends.
This list of symbols and themes is not exhaustive.
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