Character Analysis Of Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle

“Although wolves normally live, travel, and hunt in packs, occasionally a young wolf will choose to leave the pack and set out on its own.” In the novel, The Glass Castle, the protagonist and author, Jeannette Walls showed many characteristics of a wolf; she was strong, independent, and tough. Despite the challenges she faced, Jeannette fought through whatever life threw her way. Jeannette learned that with perseverance and self sufficiency, she could achieve whatever she set her mind to. Because of the circumstances that Jeannette dealt with, she became independent, resembling a lone wolf, very quickly. As a toddler, Jeannette had already grown to be more self-reliant than most teenagers. At the age of three, Jeannette ended up in the Emergency Room after she was severely burned while making hot dogs for herself. After being questioned by various doctors about how and Jeannette had been burned, she replied “Mom says I’m mature for my age and she lets me cook for myself a lot.” (Walls 11) Not only does this show that the Walls family wasn’t very cautious, but it also shows the independence that Jeannette had. One of her parents could’ve easily boiled a hot dog for …show more content…
Her trip to the hospital made her and others realize how mature and self-sufficient she was. Her determination to keep her siblings healthy while their mother was gone displayed how hardworking she was. When her father stole the New York money, Jeannette displayed her forward-looking view of life and when she needed to fix her teeth, she showed how resourceful and inventive she became. Everything put together shows how Jeannette grew to become more independent and how she truly represents a young, competent wolf. One may not always take the simplest path in life; it may be a long, jagged, difficult, challenging, stressful path, but the journey is what creates each individual