Castle

“If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim.” The fantastic memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls is about a dysfunctional family lead by an alcoholic father and a mother who can only be explained as “crazy.” The family battled poverty, hunger, and homelessness along a journey that put family in disarray. One of the biggest issues raised by the book was alcoholism. Alcoholism is a very serious addiction similar to other addictive substances that are abused by millions of…

the hell are you calling this late at night?” he said, “Dad can you please come get me? I’m scared.”, “Jesus Victoria. I’ll come get you in the morning.”, “No now, or I’m calling my mom.” Then it was silent – my dad hung up. In the book, The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls perseveres through the trails and tribulations she encounters while growing up; Likewise, throughout my childhood I can relate to Jeannette’s strong will to not be defined by her parents.…

Struggles are a necessary part of life. Without them we would accomplish nothing. Merna Summers’ short story “The Skating Party” revolves around Nathan Singleton, and the story of a night in the past, told through the eyes of his niece Maida. At eleven years old she is told by her mother that Nathan’s fiancée Eunice and her sister Delia had fallen through the ice of the lake one November night. Delia was the only one of the two to survive the accident and when asked by Maida why he chose to save…

Najmah’s Characteristics The intellect and willpower of a human goes beyond the limits of nature as they have the ability to change their understanding of who they are when faced in the loss of their known world. This is displayed with the main character Najmah from the well-known book Under the Persimmon Tree as she took comfort in her family, allowing them to protect her from her consistent anxiety. Najmah becomes responsible when her father and brother were taken away from her,…

The Nevada Test Site for nuclear testing for World War II has one of the worst effects on humans and animals. The increase in cancer risks and cases can be attributed to the contamination of the food supply, water, and soil as a result of nuclear testing in the southwestern United States. Iron County, Nevada was one of the first exposed to radiation. Sheep and farmers were among those affected by nuclear testing and fallout. Eighteen to twenty thousand sheep were exposed to fallout from the 1953…

While being subject to the taunts of the other Welch children, the Walls siblings develop a unity which allows them to stand up against two generations of unstable parents, a difficult feat even for wealthy characters like Daisy in The Great Gatsby. On her first day of school at Welch Elementary, Jeannette is ridiculed by students and teachers alike for not having her school records from Phoenix. Her English teacher, Miss Caparossi, mocks Jeannette's response to her question about whether or not…

Ray Lewis once said, "No matter the circumstances that you may be going through, just push through it." In society, people sometimes give up when faced with tough times. When people use their determination and courage, they could do more. In Catherine, Called Birdy, Catherine uses her determination and courage to make the best of her marriage, her lady tasks, and her life. First, Catherine cannot escape marriage. She thinks about her own marriage and used to dream of a nice marriage, but instead…

I believe that the learner profile trait that describes Jeanette Walls the best is risk taker because throughout her life, she takes many risks despite the possible outcomes. She grew up in a very turbulent family with lots of drama and struggles. Once her older sister was able to move out, she put in so much work to be able to go with her, including raising money and working hard in school, all at the same time as taking care of her family. On page 238, she says, “”Dad,” I said, “as soon as I…

Robert Boyle was born in 1627, he was the seventh son of his father Richard Boyle. Boyle was named the father of of chemistry after he created a vacuum pump and found Boyle’s law, became a philosopher, chemist, physicist, and an inventor. He gave the first accurate definition of a chemical element, chemical reaction, and a chemical analysis. In 1641, Boyle went to Florence with his tutor who was French, he spent his winter studying with Galileo Galilei. He was also part of the “Invisible…

Jeannette Walls earliest childhood memory shared within her book, The Glass Castle: A Memoir, is of her getting taken to the hospital after getting caught on fire while cooking hot dogs for herself as a three year old. According to the doctors she was “lucky to be alive” (Walls 9), and was left with a permanent scar from a skin graft. Living in a trailer in Southern Arizona with two siblings, Lori and Brian, and her Mom and Dad, Jeannette was considered, “mature for [her] age” (Walls 9), making…