Tolog Review: The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle Book
by Jeannette Walls
reviewed by Ellis DeJardin

Upon glancing at the title, any reader would assume that author Jeannette Walls wrote her book The Glass Castle about a life of luxury. Quite contrarily, the memoir reflects on the ups and downs and twists and turns the Walls family endured along the adventure that is their life.

Ever since she was born, Jeanette lived a very meager life. Her father, Rex Walls- the notorious town drunk and coal miner- and her mother, Rose Mary Walls, a free-spirited artist, lack the parental skills their four children need. As a result, all four of the Walls children became independent and self-reliant at a very young age: for they never knew when they would have their next full meal. They learned to make the best out of absolutely nothing. It was in these moments of creativity and poverty when Rex promised his little girl Jeanette that he would build her a glass castle.

Although Jeannette Walls notices her family’s flaws, she illustrates a theme of on-going acceptance and affection for those around her throughout the entirety of her book. Jeannette accepts the fact that all people are different and judges no one or nothing- not even a house full of prostitutes. She always shows the utmost understanding for her siblings because she shares their burdens and their delights. Through the thick and thin, Jeannette learns to always stay true to herself and that it is important to provide a shoulder to lean on for her family.

Jeannette Walls’s bildungsroman The Glass Castle displays the beauty of being human: not one person will live their ideal life without overcoming obstacles along the way. And although some people may experience more obstacles than others, we all share a common goal: to enjoy life as much as we can, and people do this differently than one another. Jeannette’s story is one of both triumph and tragedy, but the reader cannot help but applaud the beauty of her never-ending good will and tenderness.