Jeannette Research Paper
Essay 1 Jeannette was cooking her own hotdogs at the age of three. While cooking hotdogs for herself, her pink dress catches on fire and is hospitalized for six weeks. Jeannette only being three years old at the time of the accident does not let it rule her life. After being smuggled out of the hospital by her father, she returns to playing with fire. Jeannette was taught to take care of herself at a very young age. She was taught how to cook for herself and to shoot a gun by herself at a very young age. Her parents believed that if you don’t beck-and-call on their child’s every whine or cry, it will teach them to grow up to be tough. This is the problem I find most interesting when looking at Jeannette’s childhood. Jeannette’s parents not only let her do things by herself that she shouldn’t have been doing at that age, but they promoted her doing things by herself. They figured if she learned from her mistakes early in life, she would become more responsible and tougher as she grew up. After Jeannette’s father took her from the hospital, instead
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of becoming fearful of fire, she found it to be fascinating. The problem I find with this is that her parents actually allowed her to play with fire unattended, and encouraged her to play with fire. “Dad also thought I should face down my enemy, and he showed me how to pass my finger through a candle flame.” (Walls 15) To be teaching a three year old to play with fire is crazy. Jeannette’s parents were very irresponsible when it came to the fire situation. They should have learned that if her dress caught on fire once, it could easily happen again with worse consequences. A three year old doesn’t is not responsible enough to choose what to light on fire and what not to light on fire. She could have easily set fire to a curtain or herself again. The Wall’s were very irresponsible in raising Jeannette.
Although I disagree with the way Jeannette’s parents chose to “raise” her, in some ways they were correct in doing so. I believe that some of the things Jeannette faced as a child has made her tougher growing up. An example would be when she caught on fire while cooking hotdogs at three years old. Instead of fearing fire, and letting it run her life, she became fascinated by it and continued to play with fire while growing up. In a way, this is good for Jeannette because she will learn to cope with things before she lets them run her life. “The neighbor lady who had driven me to the hospital was surprised that I didn’t run in the opposite direction from any fire I saw.” (Walls 15) Even though there are some benefits of raising a child the way Jeannette was raised, I would find the possible negative results would outweigh the benefits. A child is more likely to injure themselves or others if they are given the right to do whatever they want, with whatever they want.
Her childhood is one of the main reasons she wants to get away and go to New York.
Jeannette’s parents were not the best of parents. Jeannette’s father was an alcoholic, and Jeannette never trusted his word because he never followed through with his word in the past. When Jeannette is about to leave for New York, her father tells her he is going to finish building the glass castle before she leaves for New York. Jeannette would like to believe her father will actually finish the glass castle before she leaves, but she knows from the past not to trust her father’s promises. She tells him he will never finish it because she wants him to know she doesn’t believe anything that he says he is going to do anymore. She loves her family, and would love it if her father actually finished the glass castle in time, because if he actually finished in time, it would give her hope that their family could be happy and together
again.
In conclusion, Jeannette’s parents may have been a little reckless when raising their children. Parents shouldn’t neglect their children from attention at as young an age as they were. They may have benefitted in some ways, but I believe they were neglected as children and because of it, they don’t trust their parents. The lack of trust between Jeannette and her parents is what ends up making her leave her family and go to New York.
of becoming fearful of fire, she found it to be fascinating. The problem I find with this is that her parents actually allowed her to play with fire unattended, and encouraged her to play with fire. “Dad also thought I should face down my enemy, and he showed me how to pass my finger through a candle flame.” (Walls 15) To be teaching a three year old to play with fire is crazy. Jeannette’s parents were very irresponsible when it came to the fire situation. They should have learned that if her dress caught on fire once, it could easily happen again with worse consequences. A three year old doesn’t is not responsible enough to choose what to light on fire and what not to light on fire. She could have easily set fire to a curtain or herself again. The Wall’s were very irresponsible in raising Jeannette.
Although I disagree with the way Jeannette’s parents chose to “raise” her, in some ways they were correct in doing so. I believe that some of the things Jeannette faced as a child has made her tougher growing up. An example would be when she caught on fire while cooking hotdogs at three years old. Instead of fearing fire, and letting it run her life, she became fascinated by it and continued to play with fire while growing up. In a way, this is good for Jeannette because she will learn to cope with things before she lets them run her life. “The neighbor lady who had driven me to the hospital was surprised that I didn’t run in the opposite direction from any fire I saw.” (Walls 15) Even though there are some benefits of raising a child the way Jeannette was raised, I would find the possible negative results would outweigh the benefits. A child is more likely to injure themselves or others if they are given the right to do whatever they want, with whatever they want.
Her childhood is one of the main reasons she wants to get away and go to New York.
Jeannette’s parents were not the best of parents. Jeannette’s father was an alcoholic, and Jeannette never trusted his word because he never followed through with his word in the past. When Jeannette is about to leave for New York, her father tells her he is going to finish building the glass castle before she leaves for New York. Jeannette would like to believe her father will actually finish the glass castle before she leaves, but she knows from the past not to trust her father’s promises. She tells him he will never finish it because she wants him to know she doesn’t believe anything that he says he is going to do anymore. She loves her family, and would love it if her father actually finished the glass castle in time, because if he actually finished in time, it would give her hope that their family could be happy and together
again.
In conclusion, Jeannette’s parents may have been a little reckless when raising their children. Parents shouldn’t neglect their children from attention at as young an age as they were. They may have benefitted in some ways, but I believe they were neglected as children and because of it, they don’t trust their parents. The lack of trust between Jeannette and her parents is what ends up making her leave her family and go to New York.