The scene at the bar in the latter pages of Jeannette Walls’ gripping memoir the Glass Castle serves as a pivotal moment in the development of Walls’ understanding of her father and his nature. By this point in the novel, Walls is in high school growing nearer and nearer to adulthood by the day, and is forced to accompany her father on a routine visit to the bar under the guise of a “business trip”. Once at the bar, Jeannette’s father reveals his true intensions as he allows a man by the name of Robbie attempts to grope and assault Jeannette to try and earn money from playing Poker games with Robbie. Even as Robbie drags Jeannette to his apartment above the bar with clear sexual intent, the senior Walls remains apathetic, a side of her father
…show more content…
Upon their first introduction, Jeanette and Robbie engage in the following dialogue: Robbie: “How old are you girl?” Jeannette: “How old do you think?” Robbie: “About seventeen”. The dialogue introduces the way in which Robbie treats Jeannette throughout the bar scene, as more of a helpless plaything than an individual with the ability to make her own decisions. This is exemplified here, from the very beginning of their conversation, when Robbie decides Jeannette’s age as whatever best suits his needs instead of waiting for a real answer. Rex’s continued disinterest throughout the scene only adds to the growing tension within the scene. Walls proficiently exercises her talent for creating memorable expressive dialogue from the very beginnings of Jeannette’s encounter with Robbie, adding an additional layer of depth to her struggle and Rex’s unwavering apathy by demonstrating the darkness of Robbie’s manipulative character. Shortly thereafter, Rex hollers across the room at Robbie: “[d]o something worthwhile with those damned hands of yours. Get over here and play me a hand of pool.” Despite Robbie’s increased promiscuity, Rex continues to be apathetic, which is very crushing to Jeanette. She has been raised on the idea that her father would always be there to protect her, and here has her first
Upon their first introduction, Jeanette and Robbie engage in the following dialogue: Robbie: “How old are you girl?” Jeannette: “How old do you think?” Robbie: “About seventeen”. The dialogue introduces the way in which Robbie treats Jeannette throughout the bar scene, as more of a helpless plaything than an individual with the ability to make her own decisions. This is exemplified here, from the very beginning of their conversation, when Robbie decides Jeannette’s age as whatever best suits his needs instead of waiting for a real answer. Rex’s continued disinterest throughout the scene only adds to the growing tension within the scene. Walls proficiently exercises her talent for creating memorable expressive dialogue from the very beginnings of Jeannette’s encounter with Robbie, adding an additional layer of depth to her struggle and Rex’s unwavering apathy by demonstrating the darkness of Robbie’s manipulative character. Shortly thereafter, Rex hollers across the room at Robbie: “[d]o something worthwhile with those damned hands of yours. Get over here and play me a hand of pool.” Despite Robbie’s increased promiscuity, Rex continues to be apathetic, which is very crushing to Jeanette. She has been raised on the idea that her father would always be there to protect her, and here has her first