The Glass Castle
Encyclopedia
The Glass Castle is a 2005 memoir
by Jeannette Walls
. The book recounts her and her siblings' unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents.
The memoir stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks and is now under development as a film by Paramount
. By late 2007, The Glass Castle had sold over 2.5 million copies, had been translated into 22 languages, and received the Christopher Award
, the American Library Association
's Alex Award (2006) and the Books for Better Living Award.
is the author and the voice of the book, The Glass Castle. She wrote a memoir
of her life through her eyes growing up from a child, into a talented young lady. Jeannette explains through her writing about the struggles she and her siblings faced due to their parents unrealistic ways of living. She described herself as too tall and not good looking which made it hard for her to fit in with all the moving around the Walls family did.
Jeannette writes about how she pulls herself out of that lifestyle and how she makes something of herself. Her mother Rose Mary Walls always found it very important to read and write so, when she moved to New York City
, it wasn’t hard for her to get into school. She tells how she is a journalist through school and later becomes an author. She later contributes a lot of her time to MSNBC
where she is a gossip columnist.
to get out of Welch. During his time in the Air Force
, he met his wife Rose Mary. During the childhood of Jeannette Walls
, he had a hard time keeping a job and created the chaotic situation that the Walls family constantly found themselves in. Rarely did he keep a job longer than a few months, using what little money the family had to fuel his alcoholic addiction.
Throughout the book, The Glass Castle, he constantly battles his inner demons. He loves his family but is constantly putting them in harm’s way. At one time he even recruits his daughter into aiding him in his efforts of “earning money” by distracting a man with the thought of sexual favors from his daughter.
Though he has many faults, Rex was an educated man with extensive knowledge of Astronomy
and Geology
. It seemed like he wanted to keep his children in a learning environment, just not in the classical sense. His biggest aspiration was to “strike it rich” with the discovery of gold and build the family a home, one that he named The Glass Castle. He later dies in New York in 1994 from a heart attack. Jeannette recalls him claiming that he got into a fistfight with some Nigerian drug dealers and contracted a rare incurable disease.
, he always found it necessary to be the protector/Dad figure since their own father was a good for nothing drunk.
Eventually Brian follows Jeannette and Lori to New York. He starts a family and becomes a cop in the NYPD.
Lori became an Illustrator in New York
city, where she still lives to this day.
; but didn’t want to be anything like his parents. He also told the kids how he met their mother near Fish Creek Canyon and 6 months later they got married. They had Lori, Jeanette Brian, and another named Mary Charlene but she died as a young child. Rex found her in the crib and that’s when his drinking got out of control. Rex shared his idea of building the glass castle with the family, and said to them that all they had to do was find gold and he would start on their glass castle.
, the house was very large that had fourteen rooms as well as a big yard full of fruit trees, later Rose Mary put the kids in public school, but she begged the principal in one of these schools to accept the kids as a students in the school. The Wall's family had a stable budget. Rose Mary found a time to paint and write, and Rex took a job in the electricians union. For the first time they had a telephone and an electric washing machine, as well as the kids had new bikes to ride around Phoenix
on. Unfortunately the house was infested with cockroaches
and termites which ate holes in the floor, and Rex had to patch them with flattened beer cans.
. They packed up and went to Welch
in their car that she won from the Piggy Bank Special. When they arrived in Welch
they met his mother Erma and father Ted, as well as his brother who was named Stanley. Rex got a house on a hill which was very run down, and the town was covered with black coal dust, and looked monochromatic. Rose Mary said that her painting would sell fast, because there weren't any artist like her in town.
the kids went to school also, and Rose Mary had to lie that she forgot the documents in Phoenix
. Jeannette had some problems with a girl in school named Dinitia, but later they befriended each other. Rex and Rose Mary decided to go back to Phoenix
to pack up the important things left behind. During that time, there was some issues with Erma and the kids, which made Jeannette hate Erma for doing such things to her and to her brother. After what had happened in Erma's house she decided to kick them out of her house, but the Wall's family had found a house earlier which was in a poor condition, and they had to do what they could to make it look good, and Rex told the kids that it is their new house to live in. Rex decided to start building the glass castle that he promised Jeannette he would build, although the kids were helping him build the house, he spend most of the time drinking and some nights he never came home. Jeannette found a gallon of yellow paint, and she decided to paint the house, but nobody helped her finish the painting. The kids dug holes for the foundation to The Glass Castle
, consequently the holes got filled with garbage.
it was nothing like she had seen before. There were people everywhere at fast moving paces, when finally she saw a guy calling out her name that was at the bus station waiting to pick her up. He was a friend of her sister’s. Jeannette landed a job at a hamburger place but quit right when she got hired onto the Phoenix newspaper. By winter that year both Brian and Maureen had left Welch and moved to the big city with their sisters. After three years of the kids all living in New York
together, Jeannette received a call one day from her mother saying her and dad were moving out there. Both of the parents were actually homeless and living on the streets. Once in a while they would stay with the kids but of course they all hated that.
. Rose Mary and Rex hated staying in the shelters, so they would sleep in the church. The churches filled up fast, and when they were full Rex would go to a shelter and Rose Mary would stay at Lori’s. Jeannette considered dropping out of college to help out her parents, but Lori told her that dropping out would break Rex’s heart because he was so proud of her for going to college. Jeannette met her mother to talk about the options she had. Rose Mary still owned land in Phoenix
, and the land in Texas
, she had a diamond ring, and the antique Indian jewelry. But according to Rose Mary, they were fine. They managed to make it through the winter, but were always a little dirtier, or more bruised up. Rex ended up getting tuberculosis and had to go to the hospital. He was in the hospital for six weeks, and has been completely sober since being admitted to the hospital. He got offered a maintenance job at a resort with room and board included. Rose Mary refused to go with him. As it started getting cold outside Rose Mary would call to persuade Rex to quit his job and come back to her. She finally convinced him in November. A few weeks later he was drinking again. Everyone celebrated Christmas at Lori’s house. Rex was embarrassed because Jeannette got him nice new things while he got her something from the street. Rex and Rose Mary were on their third year living on the streets of New York
. In August Rex called Jeannette to go over the classes she was going to be taking at college and she told him she was more than likely going to drop out of school. Over the summer she was only able to save $1,000 and she still needed another $1,000. A week later, Rex called Jeannette and told her to meet him at Lori’s house. While at Lori’s house Rex emptied a bag full of money. He told Jeannette he had almost $1,000, he also have her a fur coat to pawn to get the last little bit of money she needs to stay in school.
in the family name. Jeannette cannot believe that her uncle’s land is worth so much and wonders how much her mother’s land is worth. Rose Mary would not tell Jeannette how much the land she owns is worth. Jeannette feels like she deserves to know the answer from her mother because growing up they had no food, power, and old clothes. Jeannette feels like her mother was being selfish about never selling the land in Texas
to provide for her family. Jeannette tells her mother that it would not be right of her to ask for one million dollars from Eric. Rose Mary then says that she is very disappointed in her.
. Jeannette did not want her to leave, but she and Brian had agreed it was best for Maureen to stay as far away from her parents as she could. The family has drifted apart and hardly ever gets together after Maureen left. It had been a year since Maureen left when Jeannette got a phone call from her father asking her to come see him. She agrees, even with the request to pick up a bottle of vodka. When she arrives at the apartments they lived in, she notices how healthy and good Rose Mary looks. But then notices how pale Rex looks. It had been five years since Rex died. Everyone in the family has gone their separate ways. Jeannette and her new husband invited the family over for Thanksgiving. Rose Mary, Lori, Brian, and his daughter Veronica showed up, but Maureen did not.
Husband John Taylor encouraged her to write the book
First confused about her feelings towards her parents, that was 10-15 years ago
Covers celeb life, attends Red Carpet events, does interviews.
Lives in Culpeper, Virginia with second husband John, He's a journalist as well.
John has a daughter who is older but her and Jeannette are pretty close
Haven't had children together though
Working on writing a sequel to The Gass Castle
Lori
Achieved dream of becoming an artist
Currently lives in in Manhattan
Never been Married and no kids
Still close with Jeannette
Brian
Was married but got divorced
Still close with Jeannette as well
Achieved his dream of becoming a police officer but retired a few years ago and is now enrolled in college to become a teacher
Maureen
After the book was published she reconnected with Jeannette but she's still going through her rough patch,
Her whereabouts are unknown as of now.
Rose Mary
Loves the publicity but still a squatter
She's 71 years old
The building that she was squatting in caught fire and then she had no idea where to go.
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
by Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls is a writer and journalist widely known as former gossip columnist for MSNBC.com — and author of The Glass Castle, a memoir of the nomadic family life of her childhood, which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks.-Early life and education:Walls was born...
. The book recounts her and her siblings' unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents.
The memoir stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks and is now under development as a film by Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. By late 2007, The Glass Castle had sold over 2.5 million copies, had been translated into 22 languages, and received the Christopher Award
Christopher Award
The Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
, the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
's Alex Award (2006) and the Books for Better Living Award.
Jeannette Walls
Jeannette WallsJeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls is a writer and journalist widely known as former gossip columnist for MSNBC.com — and author of The Glass Castle, a memoir of the nomadic family life of her childhood, which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks.-Early life and education:Walls was born...
is the author and the voice of the book, The Glass Castle. She wrote a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
of her life through her eyes growing up from a child, into a talented young lady. Jeannette explains through her writing about the struggles she and her siblings faced due to their parents unrealistic ways of living. She described herself as too tall and not good looking which made it hard for her to fit in with all the moving around the Walls family did.
Jeannette writes about how she pulls herself out of that lifestyle and how she makes something of herself. Her mother Rose Mary Walls always found it very important to read and write so, when she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, it wasn’t hard for her to get into school. She tells how she is a journalist through school and later becomes an author. She later contributes a lot of her time to MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
where she is a gossip columnist.
Rex Walls
Rex Walls was born in Welch, WV. He later joined the Air ForceAir force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
to get out of Welch. During his time in the Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
, he met his wife Rose Mary. During the childhood of Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls is a writer and journalist widely known as former gossip columnist for MSNBC.com — and author of The Glass Castle, a memoir of the nomadic family life of her childhood, which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks.-Early life and education:Walls was born...
, he had a hard time keeping a job and created the chaotic situation that the Walls family constantly found themselves in. Rarely did he keep a job longer than a few months, using what little money the family had to fuel his alcoholic addiction.
Throughout the book, The Glass Castle, he constantly battles his inner demons. He loves his family but is constantly putting them in harm’s way. At one time he even recruits his daughter into aiding him in his efforts of “earning money” by distracting a man with the thought of sexual favors from his daughter.
Though he has many faults, Rex was an educated man with extensive knowledge of Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
. It seemed like he wanted to keep his children in a learning environment, just not in the classical sense. His biggest aspiration was to “strike it rich” with the discovery of gold and build the family a home, one that he named The Glass Castle. He later dies in New York in 1994 from a heart attack. Jeannette recalls him claiming that he got into a fistfight with some Nigerian drug dealers and contracted a rare incurable disease.
Rose Mary Walls
Rose Mary is the wife of Rex and the Mother of Jeanette, Lori, Brian, and Maureen. She is an artist and in many instances of the book can be found painting creation after creation. She is a licensed teacher and is used as one in many instances. She has her sane moments amongst crazy ones early in the story, but moving more towards the end after the move to Welch, WV, she slowly starts to become childlike and immature in her actions. In the scene where Jeanette explains how she plans to move to New York, she breaks down not out of sadness that her daughter is moving away, but out of jealousy that she gets to live in New York. By the end of the novel, she chooses to be homeless as it is an adventure to her.Brian Walls
Brian Walls is the only son in the Walls family. He is the third of four children. He and Jeannette are the closest out of all the siblings. They are like two peas in a pod; doing everything together. Though he is younger than Jeannette WallsJeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls is a writer and journalist widely known as former gossip columnist for MSNBC.com — and author of The Glass Castle, a memoir of the nomadic family life of her childhood, which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks.-Early life and education:Walls was born...
, he always found it necessary to be the protector/Dad figure since their own father was a good for nothing drunk.
Eventually Brian follows Jeannette and Lori to New York. He starts a family and becomes a cop in the NYPD.
Lori Walls
Lori Walls was the first of 4 children Born to Rex and Rose Mary walls. She grows up in the same way as Jeannette but not really buying into all of her parents plans as well as Jeannette does. Though she loves her siblings, she doesn’t seem a big fan of her parents or the way they have forsaken their family. Lori also saw the plans for the glass castle as a huge let down, one of many from her father. She later leaves the family home in Welch, WV to go to New York and becomes an artist.Lori became an Illustrator in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
city, where she still lives to this day.
Maureen Walls
Maureen is the last of the Walls children to be born and since the day she was born has been different from the rest of the family. She is blonde haired amongst the dark haired, and is considered the prettiest. All through out the story, Maureen is hardly to be seen. As a baby she was carried around by the family, but as a young girl fully realizes the awful state in which the family and house are in and spends most of her times at friends houses. All day, staying for dinner, and even sleepovers. By the end of the story Maureen turns violent and eventually runs away to California where it is thought she will be most happiest.Chapter 1- I was sitting in..
Jeannette notices her mother rummaging through garbage from the seat of a taxi She tries not to be noticed, but feels guilty about her having a better life than her parents. She invited her mother to a restaurant the next day and offers them money. Her mother declines the money and claims Jeannette needs to get her values in check.Chapter 2- I was on fire..
Jeannette lights herself on fire while cooking hotdogs, when she was three years old. She ends up in the hospital for six weeks, getting many nice things she didn’t usually have while at home; television and gum. Her father later steals her out of the hospital because he doesn’t want to pay the bill.Chapter 3-A few days after..
Jeannette begins cooking hotdogs again, developing a fascination for fire. She plays with fire all the time now, even though it eventually caused her to melt the face of her favorite toy on accident.Chapter 4- Dad Came Home in..
Rex awoke his family in the middle of the night and told them to grab their essentials. It was time to skedaddle. They sang songs on their drive including Rex’s favorite “sing low sweet chariot”. Rex said they were going wherever they ended up. It was time for an adventure. They slept in the desert under the sky line like the Indians did, and Jeanette was excited to do so.Chapter 5- We were always doing..
This wasn’t the first time they had skedaddled in the middle of the night and Rex told his children they were running from FBI agents and were sure to cover his tracks. They moved around to tiny towns in Arizona, California, and Nevada; ducking bill collectors.Chapter 6- As much as dad..
Rex told Jeanette and his other kids that he came from Welch, West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
; but didn’t want to be anything like his parents. He also told the kids how he met their mother near Fish Creek Canyon and 6 months later they got married. They had Lori, Jeanette Brian, and another named Mary Charlene but she died as a young child. Rex found her in the crib and that’s when his drinking got out of control. Rex shared his idea of building the glass castle with the family, and said to them that all they had to do was find gold and he would start on their glass castle.
Chapter 7- Do you like always..
Jeanette fell out of their car named the green caboose and after what seemed like forever, they finally came back for her. This really shook Jeanette up, and Brian when he was a young child who didn’t know what to do when he saw Jeanette fall out of the vehicle.Chapter 8- We lived in Las Vegas..
They lived in Las Vegas for only about a month. During the day they would just hang out in the casino, and during that month Rex always had money from winning on the machines. The kids liked that he had money because he would buy them things, and they had money for food. Jeannette continued with her fire addiction and one day woke up to fire outside her window. Then they lived on the beach for a while until police asked them to leave.Chapter 9- After we pulled up..
Then they headed for the Mojave Desert. Rosemary taught the kids about a Joshua tree. They started renting a house that Rex thought was pretty nice. Rosemary was pregnant and devoted herself to art.Chapter 10- I never believed in..
The kids didn’t believe in Christmas, they had Christmas a week late when everything was marked down and affordable for Rex and Rosemary. Rex lost his job at gypsum. For Christmas that year, Rex had them pick out their favorite star; and called it theirs foreverChapter 11- At Twilight, once..
Rosemary says all her babies have been “post mature”. She and Rex get into a big argument about her pregnancy and she ends up getting out of the car. Causing Rex to chase her down with the car finally she got back into the car and they made up the next day. Jeannette liked school, but one day four Mexicans followed her home and jumped her. The next day Jeannette and Brian got them back. They always worked as a team when they had problems.Chapter 12- A few months after..
Maureen was born, a cop car tried to pull over Rex and he took off. After being chased for a while he found an empty garage to hide in. They left the car in the garage and walked home that day. Rex said he had been doing some research on a place called Battle Mountain, their next home. Rose Mary rented a big U-haul, they packed some of their stuff and off they went. With Maureen, Jeannette, Lori, and Brian in the back on the loaded U-Haul they go on a 17 hour drive. After a couple hours, the back doors on the U-Haul truck fly open while they’re driving after waiting a long time with the doors open, someone finally drove by and told Rex to stop. Angry, he closed the doors and they kept driving.Chapter 13- Battle Mountain had..
Battle Mountain was a rundown town. They found a little old wooden building on the edge of town. They didn’t have furniture so they improvised. Rose Mary decided they needed a piano. Rex found a cheap one, but it was too heavy to carry. They found a weird way to tie from the back end of the house to the front to try and get it in the house. Rose Mary had to back up the truck, and ended up with the piano in the backyard. Instead of fixing it, they decide maybe the neighbors want to hear music once in a while.Chapter 14- Dad got a job as..
Rex got a job as an electrician. Rex always played games with the kids when he was home when he wasn’t they would make up their own games. Their favorite thing was exploring the desert. On Sunday nights if Rex had money they would go out to a club for dinner. Rosemary didn’t like cooking much, just painting. They always bought too much food causing them to have no money till payday. Rex didn’t drink like he used to.Chapter 15- Mom and dad..
Rex and Rose Mary enroll the kids at Mary S. Black Elementary School. Jeannette is in the second grade. Rex accused Jeannette of coasting through math and makes her work harder. Jeannette likes to explore with her siblings. Jeannette collect’s stones, and tries to tell them for hundreds of dollars. There’s an abandoned shack that they called the laboratory, and mix all the toxic/hazardous waste together they found and light it on fire. Jeannette got out when the fire started, Brian stayed behind and Rex pulled him out of the fire.Chapter 16- None of us kids..
Jeannette and Brian would pick up cans and bottles and redeem them for some spending money. They would always hide in the sagebrush across the highway trying to peer inside the front door of the Green Lantern. Jeannette dares Brian to talk to the lady on the porch. He did and the lady on the porch said Men came in and the women there were nice to them.Chapter 17- Our house at Battle Mountain..
Many different animals lived in the Walls house, all different types and sizes of animals. Jeannette learns how to swim at Hot pot, a natural sulfur spring. Rex noticed that Jeannette is scared, so he goes and picks her up and throws her in the water. After seeing Jeannette struggle and gasping for air, he grabs hold of her and takes her to the shore. He lets her breathe, then does it again. She realizes she’s going to have to paddle to save herself, while doing so she hears Rex say, “You’re doing it baby!”Chapter 18- “Bad News” Lori said..
Rex lost his job that he had for nearly six months; his longest job. The kids were back to fending for themselves. Jeannette had to steal food from other kid’s lunch bags at recess. Brian got caught stealing pickles from the neighbor; his punishment was to eat the whole jar of pickles. Rex and Rosemary get into a fight that lasts until the next day. Objects were getting thrown, and Rosemary was hanging out of the window upstairs.Summary Of Pages 73-101
Rose Mary applied for a job at Mary S. Black Elementary and was hired very fast because there were a few good teachers. She was a good teacher and her students loved her, although she hated her job, because teaching was forced upon by her mother. Rose Mary job was also in jeopardy because she needed to discipline her students, her kids decided to help her in her job. Life was good although Rex Walls was fired from the Barite mine. Rex decided to get in charge of the budget in the family because he considered himself the head of the family. The family had been in Battle Mountain. For nearly a year, but after what had happened between Billy Deel and Jeannette from the kissing, to the shooting with guns, the family decided to move out from Battle Mountain. Rose Mary's Grandma had died, and Rose Mary had inherited an adobe house in PhoenixPhoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:* Phoenix , a mythical bird* Phoenix, Arizona, a United States cityPhoenix or The Phoenix may also refer to:- Mythology :* Fenghuang, the Asian phoenix...
, the house was very large that had fourteen rooms as well as a big yard full of fruit trees, later Rose Mary put the kids in public school, but she begged the principal in one of these schools to accept the kids as a students in the school. The Wall's family had a stable budget. Rose Mary found a time to paint and write, and Rex took a job in the electricians union. For the first time they had a telephone and an electric washing machine, as well as the kids had new bikes to ride around Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:* Phoenix , a mythical bird* Phoenix, Arizona, a United States cityPhoenix or The Phoenix may also refer to:- Mythology :* Fenghuang, the Asian phoenix...
on. Unfortunately the house was infested with cockroaches
Cockroaches
A cockroach is an insect of the order Blattaria. "Cockroach" may also refer to:*Cockroach , a 2001 album by Danger Danger*Cockroach , a 2008 novel by Rawi Hage...
and termites which ate holes in the floor, and Rex had to patch them with flattened beer cans.
Summary Of Pages 102-135
The Wall's family lived in a bad neighborhood, which was full of bad people who thieved their belongings. City life was hard on Rex, and he said it makes you soft, so he decided to take the kids to the zoo to show the kids what it is like to be an animal in captivity. After a few months Rex got fired from his job and since then the family's financial situation was getting really tight and spending was limited, when Christmas came Rose Mary decided to make a very special Christmas day, but Rex got drunk and burned the Christmas tree, ruining the day. Jeannette made her father promise to quite drinking, so he did. It didn't last long, one night he came drunk and started to get angry about everything that stood in his way. After the fight that night, Rose Mary decided to go to his family's house in WelchWelch
Welch may refer to:*Welch *Welch, Oklahoma*Welch, Texas*Welch, West Virginia, the main city in McDowell County*Welch Hall , an undergraduate residence of Yale University, Connecticut*Welch Township, Minnesota near Hastings...
. They packed up and went to Welch
Welch
Welch may refer to:*Welch *Welch, Oklahoma*Welch, Texas*Welch, West Virginia, the main city in McDowell County*Welch Hall , an undergraduate residence of Yale University, Connecticut*Welch Township, Minnesota near Hastings...
in their car that she won from the Piggy Bank Special. When they arrived in Welch
Welch
Welch may refer to:*Welch *Welch, Oklahoma*Welch, Texas*Welch, West Virginia, the main city in McDowell County*Welch Hall , an undergraduate residence of Yale University, Connecticut*Welch Township, Minnesota near Hastings...
they met his mother Erma and father Ted, as well as his brother who was named Stanley. Rex got a house on a hill which was very run down, and the town was covered with black coal dust, and looked monochromatic. Rose Mary said that her painting would sell fast, because there weren't any artist like her in town.
Summary Of Pages 136-163
In WelchWelch
Welch may refer to:*Welch *Welch, Oklahoma*Welch, Texas*Welch, West Virginia, the main city in McDowell County*Welch Hall , an undergraduate residence of Yale University, Connecticut*Welch Township, Minnesota near Hastings...
the kids went to school also, and Rose Mary had to lie that she forgot the documents in Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:* Phoenix , a mythical bird* Phoenix, Arizona, a United States cityPhoenix or The Phoenix may also refer to:- Mythology :* Fenghuang, the Asian phoenix...
. Jeannette had some problems with a girl in school named Dinitia, but later they befriended each other. Rex and Rose Mary decided to go back to Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:* Phoenix , a mythical bird* Phoenix, Arizona, a United States cityPhoenix or The Phoenix may also refer to:- Mythology :* Fenghuang, the Asian phoenix...
to pack up the important things left behind. During that time, there was some issues with Erma and the kids, which made Jeannette hate Erma for doing such things to her and to her brother. After what had happened in Erma's house she decided to kick them out of her house, but the Wall's family had found a house earlier which was in a poor condition, and they had to do what they could to make it look good, and Rex told the kids that it is their new house to live in. Rex decided to start building the glass castle that he promised Jeannette he would build, although the kids were helping him build the house, he spend most of the time drinking and some nights he never came home. Jeannette found a gallon of yellow paint, and she decided to paint the house, but nobody helped her finish the painting. The kids dug holes for the foundation to The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is a 2005 memoir by Jeannette Walls. The book recounts her and her siblings' unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents....
, consequently the holes got filled with garbage.
Summary Of Pages 245-257
When Jeannette first arrived in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
it was nothing like she had seen before. There were people everywhere at fast moving paces, when finally she saw a guy calling out her name that was at the bus station waiting to pick her up. He was a friend of her sister’s. Jeannette landed a job at a hamburger place but quit right when she got hired onto the Phoenix newspaper. By winter that year both Brian and Maureen had left Welch and moved to the big city with their sisters. After three years of the kids all living in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
together, Jeannette received a call one day from her mother saying her and dad were moving out there. Both of the parents were actually homeless and living on the streets. Once in a while they would stay with the kids but of course they all hated that.
Summary Of Pages 258-265
January had gotten so cold you could see chunks of ice floating down the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Rose Mary and Rex hated staying in the shelters, so they would sleep in the church. The churches filled up fast, and when they were full Rex would go to a shelter and Rose Mary would stay at Lori’s. Jeannette considered dropping out of college to help out her parents, but Lori told her that dropping out would break Rex’s heart because he was so proud of her for going to college. Jeannette met her mother to talk about the options she had. Rose Mary still owned land in Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:* Phoenix , a mythical bird* Phoenix, Arizona, a United States cityPhoenix or The Phoenix may also refer to:- Mythology :* Fenghuang, the Asian phoenix...
, and the land in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, she had a diamond ring, and the antique Indian jewelry. But according to Rose Mary, they were fine. They managed to make it through the winter, but were always a little dirtier, or more bruised up. Rex ended up getting tuberculosis and had to go to the hospital. He was in the hospital for six weeks, and has been completely sober since being admitted to the hospital. He got offered a maintenance job at a resort with room and board included. Rose Mary refused to go with him. As it started getting cold outside Rose Mary would call to persuade Rex to quit his job and come back to her. She finally convinced him in November. A few weeks later he was drinking again. Everyone celebrated Christmas at Lori’s house. Rex was embarrassed because Jeannette got him nice new things while he got her something from the street. Rex and Rose Mary were on their third year living on the streets of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In August Rex called Jeannette to go over the classes she was going to be taking at college and she told him she was more than likely going to drop out of school. Over the summer she was only able to save $1,000 and she still needed another $1,000. A week later, Rex called Jeannette and told her to meet him at Lori’s house. While at Lori’s house Rex emptied a bag full of money. He told Jeannette he had almost $1,000, he also have her a fur coat to pawn to get the last little bit of money she needs to stay in school.
Summary Of Pages 266-273
About a month later Rose Mary calls Jeannette to tell her that they had found an abandoned place to live and asks Jeannette to come check it out. When Jeannette got to their house, she looks around and it reminds her a lot of 83rd Little Hobart Street in Welch which makes her want to leave. Rex illegally wired their abandoned house so everyone that lived there had power. Jeannette’s parents are proud regardless of what anyone thinks. Jeannette graduates from college later that year, but has immense fear of inviting her father to her graduation. He has a drinking problem and would embarrass her, so she does not invite him. Later on she receives a full time job from the magazine place she works at. Jeannette is also offered to move in with her boyfriend Eric. Jeannette now lives with Eric and invites both of her parents to come by. Rex refuses and thinks he would not feels right going to Jeannette’s place but he mother comes over right away. Jeannette really wants to help her parents financially, but her mother refuses, saying they are just fine. Later, Jeannette’s editor offers her a weekly column and takes the opportunity immediately. She is ashamed of her family and her past and keeps it quiet from others because she is afraid they will no longer like her. She also tells her friends lies about her family to keep her past hidden. Jeannette and Eric get married after being together for four years. Jeannette’s mother comes to her apartment after the wedding bearing bad news they her brother had died. Rose Mary asks Jeannette to borrow one million dollars from Eric to keep the land in West TexasWest Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
in the family name. Jeannette cannot believe that her uncle’s land is worth so much and wonders how much her mother’s land is worth. Rose Mary would not tell Jeannette how much the land she owns is worth. Jeannette feels like she deserves to know the answer from her mother because growing up they had no food, power, and old clothes. Jeannette feels like her mother was being selfish about never selling the land in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to provide for her family. Jeannette tells her mother that it would not be right of her to ask for one million dollars from Eric. Rose Mary then says that she is very disappointed in her.
Summary Of Pages 274-288
Lori started working as a freelance artist and Brian joined the NYPD force when he turned 20. Rex could not figure out what he did wrong, since Brian is a “Gestapo”. Maureen graduated from high school and enrolled in a city college, but she was struggling to apply herself and keep a job. She ended up staying with Rex and Rose Mary and the longer she stayed there the more confused and lost she became. Rex and Maureen would get into some awful arguments. They called each other names and said mean things. Maureen Called Rex a “worthless drunk” and he said she was a “sick puppy, the runt of the litter, who should have been drowned at birth”. Maureen slept all day and only left the house to buy cigarettes. Jeannette wondered if Maureen was on drugs and called Brian to ask. When Jeannette suggested to Rose Mary that Maureen needed professional help all she said was she needs sunshine and fresh air. Six months later Maureen ended up stabbing Rose Mary and the police arrested her. Everyone went to her court date, and her bail had been denied. Rex and Lori started arguing and then everyone started blaming each other for the way Maureen has turned out. Maureen was sent to an upstate hospital and as soon as she got out, she purchased a one way ticked to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Jeannette did not want her to leave, but she and Brian had agreed it was best for Maureen to stay as far away from her parents as she could. The family has drifted apart and hardly ever gets together after Maureen left. It had been a year since Maureen left when Jeannette got a phone call from her father asking her to come see him. She agrees, even with the request to pick up a bottle of vodka. When she arrives at the apartments they lived in, she notices how healthy and good Rose Mary looks. But then notices how pale Rex looks. It had been five years since Rex died. Everyone in the family has gone their separate ways. Jeannette and her new husband invited the family over for Thanksgiving. Rose Mary, Lori, Brian, and his daughter Veronica showed up, but Maureen did not.
Timeline During the Book
Year, City, State, Page, Description- 1/1/1960 Phoenix, Arizona- Jeannette is born
- 1963 Phoenix, Arizona p.14 Jeannette gets burned while making hot dogs
- 1963 Phoenix, Arizona p.17-18 The Family does the skedaddle
- 1964 Desert, Nevada Jeannette is 4yr's
- Desert, Nevada p.29 Jeannette and Lori about were they had lived (they had counted 11)
- Las Vegas, Nevada p.32 They were there a month before Rex thought the Mofia was after him
- Las Vegas, Nevada p.33 They headed west through the dessert
- San Francisco, California They stayed in the Tenderloin District
- San Francisco, California p.34 The room they are staying in catches fire, Jeannette wonders if the fire that burned her is related to the fire in the room
- San Francisco, California They lived on the beach
- San Francisco, California p.35 Mojave Desert-Eagle Mountain
- Midland, California p.36-37 Jeannette and her dad chase demons in the desert
- Midland, California p.39-41 Rex takes Lori, Jeannette and Brian in to the desert to pick a star Jeannette picks Venus
- Midland, California p.42-43 They leave Midland for Blythe
- Blythe, California p.43-44 They rent a room at LBJ apartments
- 1967 Blythe, California p.44 The kids go to school. Jeannette is in the first grade
- Blythe, California p.45-46 Jeannette is bullied by some Hispanic girls. Brian helps find them off
- Blythe, California p.46-47 Two months after arriving there, Maureen is born
- Blythe, California p.48 One month after Maureen is born they do the skedaddle
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.51 Moved in to a building that used to be a railroad depot
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.54 Rex got a job as an electrician
- 1968 Battle Mountain, Nevada p.58 The kids go to school. Jeannette is in the second grade
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.61 The building catches on fire after Jeannette and Brian mixed chemicals together
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.67 Rex loses his job that he had for almost six months
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.71 Rex throws or Rosemary jumps out a window and Jeannette turns 8yr's old
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.81 Billy Deel arrives in Battle Mountain
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.87-89 Billy shows up at the depot and starts shooting at the kids, Lori grabs their dads gun and Jeannette takes it and shoots at Billy
- Battle Mountain, Nevada p.91-93 Jeannette finds out their grandma passed on their way to Phoenix
- Phoenix, Arizona p.94 They go to live at their grandma's house (north on third)
- 1969 Phoenix, Arizona p.94-97 Jeannette is in the third grade at Emerson Elementary
- Phoenix, Arizona p.98 Rex get a job as an electrician
- Phoenix, Arizona p.106-109 Jeannette pets a cheetah at the zoo
- Phoenix, Arizona p.113-115 Rex catches the Christmas tree on fire
- 1970 Phoenix, Arizona p.116-121 Jeannette turns 10 yrs old and she asks her dad to stop drinking
- Phoenix, Arizona p.122-123 Rex falls off the wagon
- Phoenix, Arizona p.123-125 Rosemary decides to move the family to West Virgina
- Welch, West Virgina p.132 They stay with Rex's mom Erma
- Welch, West Virgina p.136 The kids are enrolled in Welch school
- Welch, West Virgina p.145-146 Rex and Rosemary leave the kids with Erma and go back to Phoenix
- Welch, West Virgina p.150-154 They move to 93 Little Hobart
- Welch, West Virgina p.180 Erma passed away during their second winter in Welch
- Welch, West Virgina p.193-195 Child welfare comes to the house while Jeannette is home alone
- New York p.229-230 Jeannette lets Lori go baby sit then asks that they send her to New York
- Welch, West Virgina p.231 Jeannette starts 10th grade
- 1977 Welch, West Virgina p.241 Jeannette leaves Welch for New York
- New York p.249 Brian goes to New York the end of his Junior Year
- New York p.251 Maureen goes to New York
- New York p.252-254 Three years after all the kids had been in New York, Rosemary and Rex arrive
- New York p.274-276 After Maureen's court date from stabbing Rosemary the family falls apart
- 1994 New York p.277-281 Rex tells Jeannette that he is dieing and then two weeks later he passed away
- New York p.281-285 Five years after Rex passing, everyone except Maureen has Thanksgiving at Jeannette's home with her and her new husband st their country home
- 1998-current Rural, Virgina Living happily married
Where are they Now!
JeannetteHusband John Taylor encouraged her to write the book
First confused about her feelings towards her parents, that was 10-15 years ago
Covers celeb life, attends Red Carpet events, does interviews.
Lives in Culpeper, Virginia with second husband John, He's a journalist as well.
John has a daughter who is older but her and Jeannette are pretty close
Haven't had children together though
Working on writing a sequel to The Gass Castle
Lori
Achieved dream of becoming an artist
Currently lives in in Manhattan
Never been Married and no kids
Still close with Jeannette
Brian
Was married but got divorced
Still close with Jeannette as well
Achieved his dream of becoming a police officer but retired a few years ago and is now enrolled in college to become a teacher
Maureen
After the book was published she reconnected with Jeannette but she's still going through her rough patch,
Her whereabouts are unknown as of now.
Rose Mary
Loves the publicity but still a squatter
She's 71 years old
The building that she was squatting in caught fire and then she had no idea where to go.
External links
- Dublins Womens Book Circle
- wikipedia
- gothamist
- "The Glass Castle" in-depth review
- Book Review and Discussion
- Conversations with Famous Writers: Jeannette Walls
- Q&A ABC Primetime with Jeannette Walls
- Diversity Conversation: Jeannette Walls and Nora Neill
- Booknotes The Glass Castle Study Guide
- Jeannette Walls Biography
- on MSNBC
- Jeannette Walls, author of "Glass Castle" 1/2
- Jeannette Walls, author "Glass Castle" 2/2