The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle is one of those books that is so easily read. Jeanette Walls is a NYC journalist now, but she went through many trials throughout her life as she grew up homeless. Her parents come off as educated however they struggle with alcoholism and decline to conform to societies views of how a family should be, meaning that Walls' and her siblings were left to fend for themselves as far as food and shelter was concerned. Walls' family was constantly on the move from place to place, she tells of how at age three she was cooking for herself and one day her dress caught on fire. Her mother was in the next room painting and asked a nieghbor to take her to the hospital where she spent six weeks, her own father was against this stay. Her took her from the hospital ignoring medical advice and moved them once again. Walls became obsessed with fire after this, something extremely innapropriate for a three year old to be dealing with. While living in Battle Mountian, Walls became fascinated by what we are left to assume is a whorehouse. She writes that she and her brother walked past it all the time but could never figure out what it was; the many women who worked there spent a majority of thier time lounging on the front porch. The two siblings decided to talk to the ladies and learned that they were very nice. Another part of the story that I thought was insightful was when Walls learned to swim, she was thrownover and over into the deep end of a spring until she learned. Each of these little anecdotes gives an idea of childhood, and responsibilty, or lack thereof, of Walls parents. How many people let thier kids hang out with prostitutes when they are barely even old enough to understand anything sexual, or allows them to be thrown repeatedly into a deep spring until they learn how to swim? Not many at all. On the other hand, who are we to judge this woman's family? Yes her parents were alcoholics and thier motives as far as children were concerned could be considered questionable, however, Walls grew up to be a successful fully funcional member of society. Perhaps her parents did not do everything wrong. A majority of children growing up in an adverse family enviroment such as this would most likely grow up as criminals or with serious mental problems, yet Walls seems to almost take pride in her situation. In my opinion, the book is very interesting and I am looking forward to reading more about this woman's struggles.

Nonfiction

Nonfiction, in literature, is truthful writing told from certain perspective(s). There are many different kinds of nonfiction writing; memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, articles in a newspaper, magazine, or journal, as well as how-to books, directions or instructions, etc. etc. Any factual type of writing.

Everything That Rises Must Converge

This story is very melancholy. I immediatley recognized the relationship between the mother and her son as one I've seen before a million times. A woman who talks too much, a man who puts up with her because he's obligated or feels bad. Julian's mother seemed to be completley oblivious in her own little world. Throughout the story she talks a lot of her past, her mind seems to be stuck there, ""Since this was a fashionable nieghborhood forty years ago, his mother persisted in thinking they did well to have an apartment in it. Each house had a narrow collar of dirt around it in which sat, usually, a grubby child." (O'Connor 401). Julian's mother embarrassed him with her old fashioned ideas and way of thinking. She views african americans almost as if they were like pets, or a horse or something. Her grandfather owned a plantation with over 200 slaves. She thought they were better of that way, and talks of how she cared for them like you would an animal. When she talks like this her son becomes angry, and makes a point to sit by an african american man. I do not necessarily think badly of her, she was a widow and worked to put her son through college and support him. Her family came from money and she sacrificed everything, I believe that living in the past and constantly thinking about better days was her escape so she didn't need to see how bad things had gotten. She could be proud of who she was in the past.