Quarter 3 Independent Reading Essay “I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. Not to be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be able to be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.” Henry Rollins. The Biography The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls gives a very detailed insight into the troubled and chaotic upbringing of Jeannette Walls. Jeannette and her family live in poverty and are on the run constantly and are never in a safe or stable environment. Constantly moving around, barely making it against starvation and freezing temperatures. Her alcoholic father abused her mother and caused lots of dysfunction in the family and how they interact. All of these issues resulted in Jeannette wanting to reinvent herself, become something new, and get out of
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This move might not seem so difficult because of their situation, but her family was her whole world. So this move was very big and she was very young, only 17. Her independence is truly gained as she takes the train. It shows that she is strong enough and bright enough to leave and be her own person. She even worked to save money for her trip out of Welch, but only saved around 37 dollars after her father had stolen it all. But this didn’t stop her from leaving. When we got to the station, Dad turned to me, “Honey, Life in New York may not be as easy as you think it's going to be.” “I can handle it,” I told him”(Walls 240). Her harsh tone and quick comeback display how she was ready to leave and her independence was once again shining through as she began her new life. Even though she would later come to find herself missing them, this would soon change and she would want to be completely independent from them. Jeannette's harsh upbringing and treacherous past created a want and a need for change; she needed to reinvent herself for the better. Her reinvention brought forth stability and independence like she had never had
This move might not seem so difficult because of their situation, but her family was her whole world. So this move was very big and she was very young, only 17. Her independence is truly gained as she takes the train. It shows that she is strong enough and bright enough to leave and be her own person. She even worked to save money for her trip out of Welch, but only saved around 37 dollars after her father had stolen it all. But this didn’t stop her from leaving. When we got to the station, Dad turned to me, “Honey, Life in New York may not be as easy as you think it's going to be.” “I can handle it,” I told him”(Walls 240). Her harsh tone and quick comeback display how she was ready to leave and her independence was once again shining through as she began her new life. Even though she would later come to find herself missing them, this would soon change and she would want to be completely independent from them. Jeannette's harsh upbringing and treacherous past created a want and a need for change; she needed to reinvent herself for the better. Her reinvention brought forth stability and independence like she had never had