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77 pages 2 hours read

Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2005

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Essay Topics

1.

What does the Glass Castle symbolize for both Dad and Jeannette? How does it play into the slow erosion of Jeannette’s illusions concerning her father?

2.

To what extent are the family’s struggles the result of Dad’s alcoholism? Clearly it has grievous effects on the family, but do you the think the Wallses would thrive if Dad simply stopped drinking? Why or why not?

3.

In what ways does Mom and Dad’s marriage represent a codependent relationship? How does Mom enable Dad’s alcoholism, both implicitly and explicitly?

4.

How do the family’s Christmas celebrations reflect the family dynamics in any given year? Cite at least three Christmas gatherings and what they reveal about the family, particularly with respect to the relationship between Jeannette and Dad?

5.

What is the significance of the Joshua tree? How does it relate to Mom’s attitudes on parenting?

6.

To what extent is Mom responsible for the family’s impoverished circumstances? Is poverty a lifestyle choice of hers, or do you see her largely as a victim of Dad’s abuse, toxicity, and neglect?

7.

The members of the Walls family approach their hardship using a variety of different strategies. How do these strategies reflect attributes inherent to their personalities?

8.

Do you consider the Walls children’s upbringing as abusive? In what ways do Mom and Dad’s actions result in abuse, either directly or indirectly?

9.

The relationship between turbulence and order is a common theme cited throughout the book. Why are Dad and Jeannette both so fixated on this dichotomy?

10.

Why do you think Mom refused to sell the land in Texas, when doing so would have ensured that no one in the Walls family would go hungry again? Does Jeannette herself have an answer to this question? 

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