Childhood In Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle

No two childhoods are exactly alike. Some children are lucky to be born into wealthy families, while other families struggle to make ends meet. In the memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls she described the events in her childhood which lead her to become independent at a very young age, made an effort to make the most of the education offered to her, and learned to appreciate what she had. Her unusual upbringing and lifestyle as a young child shaped her into the successful woman she is today. Jeannette Walls learned to make do with what she had early on in her life. For example, “One afternoon when Brian and I had come home to an empty fridge, we went to the alley behind the house looking for bottles to redeem” (110). Since her family
Her parents explained to her that she would have to leave most of her belongings behind and to not get too attached to anything for that reason, not to mention, they didn’t have the money to purchase anything nice for them. For example, they never got presents on Christmas. “ They couldn’t afford expensive presents, and they didn’t want us to think we weren’t as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, found all sorts of fancy toys under the tree that were supposedly left by Santa Claus” (39). Her parents told her this, for one, they couldn’t afford anything, and second, they didn’t believe on spending their money on anything that wasn’t a necessity. Her parents found a way to make up for the lack in gifts by giving them things that they could treasure forever. For instance, the Walls spent Christmas looking up into the Arizona night sky full of stars, and Jeannette’s father said she could pick any star she wanted as her Christmas present and said ‘Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten, Dad said, you’ll still have your stars’ (41). The way they viewed it was that it had more sentimental value and was more meaningful because it would last for years to come. As parents, the Walls were trying to show their children at a young age that they don’t need money to be
She became independent quicker than most children did, always made an effort to try and do well in school no matter her situation, and realized to be grateful for what she was given, because it’s the thought that counts. All the positive events that took place throughout her live taught her how to appreciate her humble beginnings and be proud of where she is now and how far she’s come. She created a successful career for herself and learned lessons from the experiences she’s lived through, which make her a thriving