Rex And Rosemary Walls

An autobiography written by Jeanette Walls, “The Glass Castle” displays many points that the reader should take strongly into consideration. While reading, the reader may wonder whether or not the parenting skills demonstrated were in fact, abusive. One may also wonder just how Jeanette, Lori, Brian, and Maureen were able to be successful in adulthood. Rex and Rosemary Walls were very different and unconventional but successful parents based on the education they gave their children, the personal habits they refused to change, and the lifestyle they kept. Today, there is endless contemplation surrounding what it means to be a good parent. Overindulge your child, they become spoiled and you are an enabler. Under indulge your child and do …show more content…
Nevertheless, the personal habits of Rex and Rosemary as parents should be taken into mind. Being an alcoholic, Rex had a lasting impact on Jeanette that is made very clear. The childishness demonstrated by Rosemary, and her unwillingness to provide and be a true mother to her children only further helped the Walls children figure out who they wanted to be. The success story of these children, was not because they had the perfect life. They were successful because they went through hard times, and they stuck by one another to make it out. Only when Jeanette realized her parents would never change, did she make her way in the world. “...I knew that if Lori never got out of Welch, neither would I.” An article written by the National Association for Children of Alcoholics analyzes children of alcoholics and allows for further understanding of what the Walls children went through. “Children of alcoholics exhibit elevated rates of psychopathology, Anxiety, depression, and externalizing behavior disorders are more common among COAs than among children of non-alcoholics.” Although only a very small portion of this article, it continuously states that children of alcoholics are at a great disadvantage. Studies showing they don’t do as well as other children in certain areas, including schooling and social situations. When the article is compared to the life …show more content…
For children, this can be very hard. Starting over again, not having friends aside from your siblings. An article written about a study by the American Psychological Association states, “researchers found that the more times people moved as children, the more likely they were to report lower life satisfaction and psychological well-being at the time they were surveyed, even when controlling for age, gender and education level. The research also showed that those who moved frequently as children had fewer quality social relationships as adults.” Audrey Hamilton, the author of this article, also talks about how multiple moves during childhood impacts different personality types. Jeanette describes her sister Lori as more of a bookworm, not exploring the outside world like herself and Brian. Lori appears to be more introverted, and is not included in Jeanette and Brian’s experiences with other children. Mostly violent and unpleasant experiences as described. “Brian did fairly well fending them off until the yucca branch broke. Then he disappeared beneath a flurry of swinging fists and kicking feet. I grabbed the biggest rock I could find and hit one of the girls on the head with it.” Ordinarily, children learn how to peacefully interact with one another. Overcoming differences, and making friends. These were skills the Walls children never learned, being