Throughout the memoir, Dad reveals himself to be both a creative eccentric and a
manipulative abuser
. Dad has such a vivid presence in part because of the heroic persona he cultivates.
Is Rex walls a good father?
This makes him alternately
a fantastic dad
, and an incredibly irresponsible one. Once the family settles in Welch, Dad seems to embrace irresponsibility and spends his days drinking and gambling. However, he continues to want to be self-sufficient, and never accepts charity from others—even his kids.
What type of father is Rex walls?
Character List and Analysis Dad (Rex Walls) Dad is a highly intelligent man with a passion for logic. He is a
skilled electrician and engineer
, and often spends his spare time inventing contraptions he hopes will make the family rich.
Is Rex walls a good parent?
As a group, we concluded that
he happened to be a better parent than Rose Mary
because he provided positive reinforcements and gave his children an education but he is still a below average parent because all of the dangers situations he put his children through should had been avoided altogether.
Why is Rex a bad parent?
Rex and Rose Mary were
unfit parents because they were inadequate role models
, made selfish acts and failed to be concerned about their children's safety. Rex and Rose Mary Walls were unfit parents because they were inadequate role models.
How are Rex walls abusive?
In the book, The Glass Castle, it shows many situations where abuse plays a huge role. Since Rex doesn't have a stable life,
he chooses to abuse and make everyone else's life unstable
as well. Abuse includes mental, physical, and emotional attacks that can range from light to harmful.
Who was the worst parent in The Glass Castle?
In the story The Glass Castle written by Jeanette Walls,
Rose Mary
was a horrible parent for her children.
What is the Green Lantern in the glass castle?
The Green Lantern is
a brothel in Battle Mountain, Nevada
. Jeannette and her brother Brian curiously pass by it during their trips to the candy store….
How does Rex describe the glass castle?
As Rex (Woody Harrelson) indicates in the movie, the title “The Glass Castle” refers
to his dream house
, which he literally described as being a glass castle. Like in the film, he carried the blueprints for the castle with him and promised the children it would someday be their home.
How is Welch described in the glass castle?
Welch, an old coal-mining town, is
the perfect portrayal of poverty and desperation
, though it once flourished. Rex shows the family around and tells them that Welsh is the first place to give out food stamps.
What does Dad call moving towns in the middle of the night?
One night, Dad makes the family pack all their belongings into the family car and move towns in the middle of the night, a routine he calls “
doing the skedaddle
.” Over the next several years, the Wallses do the skedaddle dozens of times, moving all over to stay ahead of debt collectors and law enforcement.
What did Rex walls do on Christmas?
Rex offers
Jeanette a star in the sky for Christmas but then she picks out a planet instead
. She picks Venus and her dad says that's her Christmas gift from him. He says that all the other kids on Christmas get cheap gifts, but they get stars, which will last forever.
Why is Rex the better parent?
Rex has many good traits that show he can
be a good father
when he isn't drinking. One of these traits is that he never gives up hope. He promises his family that he will build them a house called the Glass Castle, a place where they can finally settle down in one place and stop skedaddling.
Why did the walls parents throw the cat out the window?
She also tries to keep Quixote, their cat, quiet so Dad won't become angry, but cats hate to travel, and eventually, Dad grabs it by the scruff of the neck and throws it out the window. … Her explanation is that
the cat will be a wild one now
, which is better than being a pet.
What is wrong with the parents in the glass castle?
Walls' father, Rex, was a charming, intelligent alcoholic who was also likely suffering from an
undiagnosed bipolar disorder
; her mother Mary Rose is a self-described “excitement addict” who often neglected her children to focus on her painting.
What does the glass castle symbolize?
The Glass Castle symbolizes
the illusions that Jeannette must release in order to fully mature
. … The Glass Castle epitomizes how Dad would like to live, self-sufficiently and sustainably, without submitting to a system or authority. In Welch, Brian and Jeannette even dig a foundation pit for the palace.
Was Rex Wall narcissistic?
(2) Both Rex and Rose Mary
were self-absorbed narcissists
, who viewed their children only in relationship to themselves. … Their children are props in their life, nothing more.
What kind of parent is Rosemary in the glass castle?
Mother to Jeannette and her siblings, and the
daughter of Grandma Smith from Phoenix
. She is primarily referred to as Mom in the narrative. Mom originally wanted to be an artist, but her mother convinced her to get a teaching certificate in case that didn't work out.
Why is Rex an alcoholic?
His father was a drinker, and
alcoholism can be transferred genetically
. It is most likely that it is genetically passed, but it is also a component of Rex choosing to do so as he has a bad day and any excuse he can come up with.
Is Rex walls a cheater?
We've said a lot of bad things about Dad, and we haven't even talked about the fact that
he's a cheater
, he has a drinking problem, and he practically forces his daughter into prostitution. The family lets him get off easy. Mom even calls his alcoholism a “drinking situation” (2.4. … He is her father, after all.
How does Rose Mary and the kids cope with Rex's alcoholism?
Because Rose Mary didn't feel she could do anything to stop her husband's drinking,
she allowed him to continue and let him get away with doing whatever he wanted
. By staying with him and allowing him to drink, Rose Mary acts as an enabler for Rex.
What did Erma do to Brian?
After a minute, Jeannette heard Brian squirming and whining. She ran to the room and saw Brian crying and
Erma on her knees molesting his privates
.
What does Jeannette's mom give her in a sock?
Mom is unable to skillfully resist him, resorting to weak subterfuge by handing Jeannette
a sock full of cash in front of Dad
.
Why does Rex tell his family that he has lost his job?
What does Rex tell his family that he has lost his job?
He said that he arranged to be fired, so he can spend more time looking for gold
.
How old was Jeannette Walls when she was raped?
The shed was small, barely big enough for one person, and Jeannette told him to find another spot. They were sitting so close their legs touched and his breath warmed her face. For the first time, Jeannette was scared. In this scene in The Glass Castle, Billy Deel started talking about the Green Lantern.
Who is the mother in the glass castle?
Mom (
Rose Mary Walls
)
Why do Jeannette's parents get into a fight?
When Mom catches Lori and Jeannette eating the
last
of the margarine mixed with sugar, she yells at them. They admit their hunger, which makes Mom realize how bad their lives are. She and Dad begin a fight that lasts through the next day, each accusing the other of being the cause of the problem.
Why does the family go to Welch?
Terms in this set (114) Why does it take the family so long to reach Welch, West Virginia?
Because their car is a run down clunker that can't go over 20 miles per hour
. … A hard woman, who sends them to the basement of the house to stay until the family can find another place to live.
Who is Ginnie sue?
She is
the town whore in Welch and the mother of nine children
. Jeannette visited her house one day and picked a chicken clean in exchange for some chicken rolls. Her visit caused her to realize that whoring puts food on the table.
What do Rex and pregnant Rose Mary argue about?
There was the time Rose Mary and Rex argued about
money and whose responsibility it was to support the family
. The fight was so loud, it brought out the entire neighborhood and ended with Rose Mary dangling from an upstairs window after she tried to jump out.
How old is Rex in the glass castle?
Rex Walls is
59 years old
when he dies in the memoir living in a squat in Manhattan with his wife. He dies of a heart attack a year after Maureen…
How old is Rose Mary Walls?
Rose Mary, who is
78
, was an amiable hostess, though we stood to talk.
What does the glass castle symbolize for the Walls family?
For much of Jeannette's childhood, Dad's promise to build the Glass Castle represents
both the family's hope and Jeannette's hero worship of Dad
, but, as Jeannette grows older, the castle comes to symbolize his broken promises.
Why does Rex start drinking again?
His
guilt convinces him to quit alcohol
for a few months. Later in the summer, he takes the family on a road trip and when their car breaks down (in the Grand Canyon), a lady picks them up and kept saying “oh you POOR family..” and the dad interpreted it as no money, which caused him to go on a 3 day drinking binge.
What do the walls name the rat who was in their house glass castle?
By Jeannette Walls
Jeannette and Brian dig a hole for a foundation because Dad says he will build a real house on the property. Soon, so much garbage builds up that the fam needs somewhere to put it. They dump it in the hole. All that garbage attracts a rat so big that they name it
Rufus
.
Is the glass castle based on a true story?
But as it turns out, Walls' story in The Glass Castle, both the book and movie,
really is true to life
. … The Glass Castle covers Walls' life through 2005 when the book was published. It opens with her earliest memory: catching fire cooking hot dogs for herself at age three.
What was Brian's birthday gift from Rex?
His father takes him out one night with Ginger, a woman from the Green Lantern. It is Brian's birthday and Rex buys him
a Sad Sack comic book
. When they go to the hotel Rex and the woman disappear for some time while Brian sits outside reading his comic book over and over again.
What is the new baby's name where does it come from the glass castle?
The baby is born two months later and is called
Lilly Ruth Maureen
. Lilly coming from her mother, Ruth from Rex's mother, and Maureen begin a derivative of her own name, which is Mary (this is the first time we learn Jeannette's mother's name).
What does the cheetah represent in the glass castle?
The cheetah symbolizes
a wild animal that could exist in harmony with humans instead of being feared if
communicated and handled in the right way.
What are Jeannette's parents philosophies?
Jeannette's parents believe that
children need: Freedom and the chance to learn to fend for themselves
.
What does Rose Mary have a degree in?
What kind of degree did Rose May have?
A teaching degree
.
Why does Jeannette's mother want the family to move to West Virginia if they do what do you think will happen there why?
Rose Mary makes up her mind to move the family to West Virginia because
of her husband's increasing drinking problem and his inability to hold a job
. She thinks that his 3 Page 4 parents will be able to steer him in the right direction and help the family out with their financial problems (123).
