"When Dad asked me for another five bucks a few days later, I gave it to him. It made me feel sick thinking I was now ten dollars off budget. In a few more days, he asked for twenty.
'Twenty dollars?' I couldn't believe Dad was pushing me this far. 'Why twenty?'
'Goddammit, since when do I have to explain myself to my children?' Dad asked. In the next breath, he told me that he had borrowed a friend's car and needed to buy gas so he could drive to Gary for a business meeting. 'I need money to make money. I'll pay you back.' He looked at me, defying me to disbelieve him.
'I've got bills piling up,' I said. I heard my voice growing shrill, but I couldn't control it. 'I've got kids to feed.'
'Don't you worry about food and bills,' Dad said. 'That's for me to worry about. Okay?'
I had put my hand in my pocket, I didn't know if I was reaching for my money or trying to protect it.
'Have I ever let you down?' Dad asked.
I'd heard that question at least two hundred times, and I'd always answered it the way I knew he wanted me to, because I thought it was my faith in Dad that had kept him going all those years. I was about to tell him the truth for the first time, about to let him know that he'd let us all down plenty, but then I stopped. I couldn't do it. Dad, meanwhile was saying he was not asking me for the money; he was telling me to give it to him. He needed it. Did I think he was a liar when he said he'd get it back to me?
I gave him the twenty dollars." (Walls 210)
This excerpt is the climax of the novel. Jeanette realizes that her parents are not doing what is in the best interest of their children, but are doing things that they enjoy doing, not matter the price that Jeanette and the rest of her siblings have to pay. "I couldn't do it. Dad, meanwhile was saying he was not asking me for the money; he was telling me to give it to him. He needed it," (Walls 210). In this particular excerpt, Jeanette has taken on the duties and responcibilities of her parents. She is the one keeping the money and feeding the kids. Her parents have become absent and seem like they do not care about the well being of the family and only want to satisfy their own desires. I think that Jeanette's parents do actually care and love their children, but realize that they have already failed them so there is nothing much more to be done. Her parents have given up hope, and think that the only way that their children can get out of the untolerable lives that their parents have provided, is with their own desire and responcible habits. I think that the author is trying to say that life is what you, and you yourself makes it.
Jeanette does not want to fail her parents by not believing in them. She feels it is her responcibility to keep the family somewhat stable. Jeanette, despite all that has happened, still loves her dad. This theme is present throughout the book, the unconditional love that a child has for their parents. She doesn't ever want to let her parents down even if they have let her down so many times. "I didn't know if I was reaching for my money or trying to protect it," (Walls 210). She submits to giving her parents the money because she respects her Dad and can never say no to him because he is her dad and still admires his genious outlook on life. I think that she also is afraid of what he might do if he gets angry. Her dad has a reputation of drinking when he gets upset, and Jeanette doesn't want to set that side of him off. I think that Jeanette wants to be almost like her Dad, without the drinking problems he has because he is such an admirable person when you look deep down past the insecurities that everyone has.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
3: The Glass Castle 129-179
"'I hate Erma,' I told Mom.
'You have to show compassion for her,' Mom said. Erma's parents had died when she was young, Mom explained, and she had been shipped off to one relative after another who had treated her like a servant. Scrubbing clothes on a washboard until her knuckles bled-that was the preeminent memory of Erma's childhood. The best thing that Grandpa did for her when they got married was buy her an electric washing machine, but whatever joy it had once given her was long gone.
'Erma can't let go of her misery,' Mom said. 'It's all she knows.' She added that you should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. 'Everyone has something good about them,' she said. 'You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that.'
'Oh yeah?' I said. 'How about Hitler? What was his redeeming quality?'
'Hitler loved dogs,' Mom said without hesitation." (Walls 144)
I liked this excerpt because it shows the Mom's great understanding and knowledge of humans. Jeannette's mom said that "You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies." (Walls 144). Jeannette's mom is brilliant and has learned to accept all types of people. She teaches her children the importance of acceptance and even though she has gone through many hard times herself, she always thinks on the bright side of things and does not get down on people. I think that the mom is so accepting because she knows what it feels like to be judged since she has been judged her whole life. The mom does not want anyone else to have to feel how horrible it feels to be simply hated. The authors message is that people are not solely bad people, everyone has something to give. She has carried through the important lessons of life to her children who are also very understanding despite how badly people treat them. Their family has great morals and do not rely on money to let them live their lives happily and without anger.
Jeannette's mom knows that Erma has suffered her whole life. She says that 'Erma can't let go of her misery.' (Walls 144) She knows that she can't provide a much better life then Erma had for her own kids but does not want her kids to have the same attitude that Erma has now that her life is better. Jeannette's mom wants her kids to have an optimistic view on life even if their lives are not perfect. People can still have good attitudes and do not need material goods to stay happy. The Walls have the tight bond of their family which has molded them into accepting, happy people.
'You have to show compassion for her,' Mom said. Erma's parents had died when she was young, Mom explained, and she had been shipped off to one relative after another who had treated her like a servant. Scrubbing clothes on a washboard until her knuckles bled-that was the preeminent memory of Erma's childhood. The best thing that Grandpa did for her when they got married was buy her an electric washing machine, but whatever joy it had once given her was long gone.
'Erma can't let go of her misery,' Mom said. 'It's all she knows.' She added that you should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. 'Everyone has something good about them,' she said. 'You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that.'
'Oh yeah?' I said. 'How about Hitler? What was his redeeming quality?'
'Hitler loved dogs,' Mom said without hesitation." (Walls 144)
I liked this excerpt because it shows the Mom's great understanding and knowledge of humans. Jeannette's mom said that "You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies." (Walls 144). Jeannette's mom is brilliant and has learned to accept all types of people. She teaches her children the importance of acceptance and even though she has gone through many hard times herself, she always thinks on the bright side of things and does not get down on people. I think that the mom is so accepting because she knows what it feels like to be judged since she has been judged her whole life. The mom does not want anyone else to have to feel how horrible it feels to be simply hated. The authors message is that people are not solely bad people, everyone has something to give. She has carried through the important lessons of life to her children who are also very understanding despite how badly people treat them. Their family has great morals and do not rely on money to let them live their lives happily and without anger.
Jeannette's mom knows that Erma has suffered her whole life. She says that 'Erma can't let go of her misery.' (Walls 144) She knows that she can't provide a much better life then Erma had for her own kids but does not want her kids to have the same attitude that Erma has now that her life is better. Jeannette's mom wants her kids to have an optimistic view on life even if their lives are not perfect. People can still have good attitudes and do not need material goods to stay happy. The Walls have the tight bond of their family which has molded them into accepting, happy people.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
2: The Glass Castle 67-128
"Hitchiking was one option, Dad said. If we covered three miles an hour for eight hours a day, we could make it in three days. We had to leave everything behind except Maureen's lavender blanket and the canteen.s That included Mom's fruitwood archery set. Since Mom was attached to that archery set, which her father had given her, Dad had Brian and me hide it in an irrigation ditch. We could come back and retrieve it later.
Dad carried Maureen. To keep our spirits up, he called out hup, two, three, four, but Mom and Lori refuesed to march along in step. Eventually Dad gave up and it was quiet except for the sound of our feet crunching on the sand and rocks and the wind whipping off the desert. After walking for what seemed like a couple of hours, we reached a motel billboard that we had passed only a minute or so before the car broke down. The occasianal car whizzed by, and Dad stuck out his thumb, but none of them stopped. Around midday, a big blue Buick with gleaming chrone bumpers slowed down and pulled onto the should in front of us. A lady with a beauty-parler hairdo rolled down the window.
'You poor people!' she exclaimed. 'Are you okay?'
She asked us where we were going and when we told her Poenix, she offered us a ride. The air-conditioning in th eBuick was so cold that goose bumps popped up on my arms and legs. The lady had and me pass aroundd coca-colas and sandwhiches from a cooler in the foot well. Dad said he wasn't hungry.
The lady kept talking about how her dauhter had been driving down the highway and seen us and, when she got to the lady's housue, had told her about this poor family walking along the side of the road. 'And I said to her, I said to my daughter, 'Why, I can't leave these poor people out there.' I told my daughter, 'Those poor kids must be dying of thirst, poor things.'
'We're not poor,' I saidd. She had used that word one too many times.
'Of course you're not,' the lady quickly replied. 'I didn't mean it that way.'
But i could tell that she had. The laddy gre quiet, and for the rest of the trip, no one said much. As soon as she dropped us off, Dad disappeared, I waited on the front steps until bedtime, but he didn't come home.
I liked this excerpt because the Dad finally realizes that he is failing his family. When the family got home after their troublesome day, "Dad disappeared." This showes that the Dad is humiliated by his carless driving and has put his family through so much misery, that he decides it is better for him to be out of the picture right now. This, however, is an example of the disfunctional family which is very present today. The Dad runs away from his troubles instead of facing them. He realizes that he has failed his family but he wants to please them so much that it always ends up backfiring. Jeanette, however, loves her father. Her dad is her hero, despite how much he messes up. Jeanette ceases to see the bad things, and looks up to her dad as a rolemodel. Jeanette loves her father's abstract ideas and ways of life. This demonstrates the unconditional love that a child has toward their parents. Jeanette is an odd character because, despite her unconditional love to her dad, she never gets mad at him or loses faith in him. Jeanette only sees the good things in life, and does not think about what she doesn't have. Jeanette focuses on keeping her family together, instead of her few posessions.
Dad carried Maureen. To keep our spirits up, he called out hup, two, three, four, but Mom and Lori refuesed to march along in step. Eventually Dad gave up and it was quiet except for the sound of our feet crunching on the sand and rocks and the wind whipping off the desert. After walking for what seemed like a couple of hours, we reached a motel billboard that we had passed only a minute or so before the car broke down. The occasianal car whizzed by, and Dad stuck out his thumb, but none of them stopped. Around midday, a big blue Buick with gleaming chrone bumpers slowed down and pulled onto the should in front of us. A lady with a beauty-parler hairdo rolled down the window.
'You poor people!' she exclaimed. 'Are you okay?'
She asked us where we were going and when we told her Poenix, she offered us a ride. The air-conditioning in th eBuick was so cold that goose bumps popped up on my arms and legs. The lady had and me pass aroundd coca-colas and sandwhiches from a cooler in the foot well. Dad said he wasn't hungry.
The lady kept talking about how her dauhter had been driving down the highway and seen us and, when she got to the lady's housue, had told her about this poor family walking along the side of the road. 'And I said to her, I said to my daughter, 'Why, I can't leave these poor people out there.' I told my daughter, 'Those poor kids must be dying of thirst, poor things.'
'We're not poor,' I saidd. She had used that word one too many times.
'Of course you're not,' the lady quickly replied. 'I didn't mean it that way.'
But i could tell that she had. The laddy gre quiet, and for the rest of the trip, no one said much. As soon as she dropped us off, Dad disappeared, I waited on the front steps until bedtime, but he didn't come home.
I liked this excerpt because the Dad finally realizes that he is failing his family. When the family got home after their troublesome day, "Dad disappeared." This showes that the Dad is humiliated by his carless driving and has put his family through so much misery, that he decides it is better for him to be out of the picture right now. This, however, is an example of the disfunctional family which is very present today. The Dad runs away from his troubles instead of facing them. He realizes that he has failed his family but he wants to please them so much that it always ends up backfiring. Jeanette, however, loves her father. Her dad is her hero, despite how much he messes up. Jeanette ceases to see the bad things, and looks up to her dad as a rolemodel. Jeanette loves her father's abstract ideas and ways of life. This demonstrates the unconditional love that a child has toward their parents. Jeanette is an odd character because, despite her unconditional love to her dad, she never gets mad at him or loses faith in him. Jeanette only sees the good things in life, and does not think about what she doesn't have. Jeanette focuses on keeping her family together, instead of her few posessions.
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