Joshua Tree Symbolism

The Joshua tree is included as a symbol for the Walls children who like the tree must struggle through their childhoods before finding success. This inclusion appeals to logos, as the symbol is very logical because of the obvious similarities. This symbol helps reveal Walls purpose of the importance of perspective. Walls, like the Joshua tree, gained her “beauty” from her own “struggle.” Walls uses the Joshua tree as an example to her privileged audience who believe that struggle is instead a hindrance to success. While struggle may seem difficult and unnecessary, Walls looks at the bigger picture and uses her perspective to understand her struggle’s impact on her as a person. Walls’ struggle is what makes her special and who she is today. …show more content…
He had drawn front views, side views, and aerial views of the Glass Castle. He had diagramed the wiring and the plumbing. He had drawn the interior of the rooms and labeled them and specified their dimensions, down to the inches, in his precise blocky handwriting. I stared at his plans. ‘Dad,’ I said ‘you’ll never build the Glass Castle,’” (Walls 238). Walls uses her father’s dream of building the Glass Castle as a symbol for the American Dream, the dream of a better life. As the title of the memoir, the Glass Castle acts as a reminder of Jeannette’s subject, her unconventional childhood, as her father tries to build a better life for his family. This appeals to logos as the Glass Castle is a logical title since the memoir is mainly about Rex Walls’ attempts to make a better life for his children, in accordance values of self-sustainability and non-conformity, and its effects on his children. Initially, Jeannette believes in her father’s dreams and his plan to build the Glass Castle. However, as she gets older, Jeannette finds it harder to believe in her father’s dream after being constantly let down by him throughout her childhood. Jeannette realizes that