The beginning of the novel starts with a woman named Jeannette Walls.Jeannette is sitting in a taxi thinking about her outfit when she notices her mom rooting through a dumpster. So Jeannette decides to go home instead of to the party she was planning to attend.Once she arrives home, Jeannette feels guilty because she has a home to go to and her mother doesn’t.However, Jeannette says she has tried to help Mom before, but she doesn't want her help.Still, Jeannette feels guilty, so she invites Mom to lunch at a Chinese restaurant.Mom dumps some duck sauce packets into her purse while waiting for her food.Mom tells Jeannette that it's Jeannette's values that are screwed up. She lives a wasteful life in a fancy apartment.Mom isn't ashamed at all