Rated one of the Top 10 Books of this decade Beginning discussion What responsibilities do parents have toward their children? What obligations o children.

THE GLASS CASTLE Rated one of the Top 10 Books of this

decade Beginning discussion

What responsibilities do parents have toward their children?

What obligations o children have in a family?

What differences do you see in how families operate?

Which things should children NOT have to do in a family?

INTRO VIDEO Simon & Shuster Author video: Here (3:00) What do you expect from this type of

book, given its description?

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE Recent, 1950-today Characteristics:

Diversity—people, placesChanging values—technology, family,

materialismThemes:

Identity—Jeannette trying to understand herself Truth—Jeannette trying to understand her dad Success—What makes a person happy? How

does success of individuals affect humanity? Family—What is it?

GLASS CASTLE REFLECTIVE WRITING In the preface:

Dark is a way and light is a place,Heaven that never wasNor will be ever is always true

Dylan Thomas, “Poem on His Birthday”

In a reflective essay, examine what this poem means to you in terms of family relationships and functionality.

Completion credit—graded on depth of thought ONLY, 20 points

THE GLASS CASTLE—1-41 The places they’ve seen1. pp. 1-5: Recent past, New York City2. pp. 9-14: 3 years old, trailer home in southern Arizona3. pp. 15-16: Days after leaving hospital4. pp. 17-18: Leaving the trailer park to go “Wherever we

end up” (18)5. pp. 19-25: In the desert (except p. 20 when they go to

Phoenix, AZ to stay with Grandma Smith)6. Pp. 26-28: On the move, still in the desert7. pp. 29-31: Jeannette is 4, in a car outside a bar in the

Nevada desert8. Pp. 32-24: Motel room in Las Vegas, then Tenderloin

Wharf in S.F. in a “flophouse”, beach in S.F.9. pp. 35-38: Mojave Desert to a rental home in Midland10. Pp. 39-41: Still in Midland, Mojave Desert

WALLS’ STRUGGLE Struggles with Walls’ identity in present—

materialism In her apartment there was…”turn-of-the-century

bronze-and-silver vases…old books with worn leather spines…Georgian maps…Persian rugs…leather armchair.” She turned her apartment into “the sort of place where the person [she] wanted to be would live.” (4)

“ashamed of myself for wearing pearls and living on Park Avenue while my parents were busy keeping warm and finding something to eat” (4)

Mom & values: Mom tells her, “You’re way too easily embarrassed. Your father and I are who we are. Accept it.” (5)

CHARACTERIZATION Mom?

Constantly optimisticArtistic, not very maternal

Dad? Intelligent alcoholic

Do they care about their children?Yes?No?

How does she develop the satirical tone? Find passages and explain exactly how the words interact to make it satirical. Childlike innocence to her writing quality

Ex. “What do your lizards eat?” I asked. (65) Ex. “Mom said it was a cathouse, but I never saw

any cats there” (62) In moments of discomfort, she finds a

redeeming quality in her parents.. Ex. Mom doesn’t cook, but when she does, it is a

family affair of counting and separating beans (56) Ex. When Dad is finished hanging Mom out the

window, there’s a moment of calmness with “Everything’s okay now” (72)

SATIRICAL TONE, CONTINUED

Though she is pointed in telling us about the moments of neglect, she finds redemption as well Ex. U-Haul incident. Dad looks “maybe even

more scared than angry” (50) Kids are eating margarine, which drives Mom to

get a job teachingWhat comes across as sarcasm to us (b/c

we’re older), is truth to a child Ex. “Lori, Brian, Maureen, and I were in for a

treat: We got to ride in the back [of the U-Haul]”

LOCATIONS PP. 42-72 Pp. 42-47: Blythe 48-72: Battle Mountain

Kinds of homes…CarLBJ Apartments—Hispanic migrant workersRental houses, apartmentsOld, converted train depot

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Look at “Children should not…” list.

Which of these ideas is violated in the text?

What can you determine about Jeannette as an adult based on this?

How is Jeannette’s relationship with her dad? What information does she give us that allow us to see her dad as she saw him as a child (vs. how the rest of the world might have seen him)?

What does Jeannette think about school? If she were a student here, how would she be perceived by other students? By teachers? Evaluative question—Do you think a student like

Jeannette would have the same ability and opportunities to go to college as other students?

Make an argument—Does Jeannette receive a good education from her parents? Is she a well-rounded student? Evaluative question—Do you think

homeschooling in contemporary America is a good alternative to public schools?

Mom’s parenting style—What is it?Expects kids to use “common sense”Evaluative question—do you think this is a

good way to raise children? Why or why not?

Describe the train depot where they live in Battle Mountain. Do you think this is an appropriate home for

children?How does Jeannette relay to us that her

house was out of the ordinary even for her area?

What were you thinking as you read the account about the kids eating margarine? How did you feel for them?Why would Jeannette choose to tell us this

memory?

We have all seen our parents fight…what makes the fight between Jeannette’s mom and dad at the end of the reading different than the fights we have seen?Why does she choose to tell us this?

THEMES PP. 1-132 Memoir = person reflecting on lessons

learned to develop as a person Lessons Jeannette has learned & how

she has learned themThings she wants to do/be as adultThings she does not want to do/be IntellectualLessons she’s learned through her own

failures/mistakes American values (different types) Contemporary America

PP. 133-158 Jeannette’s most impressionable years

(Teenager) Change in tone in Welch, West Virginia

Can’t find redeeming qualities (Fishing in The Tug, Only sees the negatives in Welch, Special Ed classes, Erma, 93 Little Hobart, her own dad & the Glass Castle)

Noticing her poverty more (lack of buttons on her coat, “We were also always dirty” p. 140—They’ve always been dirty, 93 Little Hobart & trying to paint it, dumping trash in Glass Castle foundation)

Increasing materialism (missing home in Phoenix, painting the house— “we now had a weird-looking half-finished patch job—one that announced to the world that the people inside the house wanted to fix it up but lacked the gumption to get the work done” p. 158)

Paying more attention to how others view them and the way they are perceived

Relationship with father is changing—filling in the GC hole with trash is symbolic, growing up and seeing her father for who he is

“Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.” Oscar Wilde

PP. 159-186 Ginnie Sue Pastor

160— “I’d long since figured out what they did [at the Green Lantern]” reminds us of age

Judgmental? “But now I’d get an up-close look at a genuine

prostitute” (161) “I made the days we had spent there seem

like years, and the showgirls I’d seen from a distance seem like close friends and neighbors” (162)—What is she (adult Jeannette) implying about her memoir?

Change in tone by end? What does Jeannette want us to think about prostitutes?

Her dad…“maybe I wasn’t a complete fool for

believing in mine. Or trying to believe in him. It was getting harder.” (169) Thoughts? What should she do? What would

you do? What do you recommend? “For the daughter of the town drunk, you sure

got big plans…I meant it as a compliment” (183)What might this mean for Jeannette’s

relationship with him?Erma’s death (180)—Why do you think it

affects him? Jeannette’s Psyche…

Staying in the bathroom during lunch (173) How do you feel for/about her? Can you relate?

If the other kids knew, what would they do? What should they do?

Jeannette’s MomStealing chocolate (174)What do you think? Should the kids forgive

her like they do their father? If they don’t, what does that imply? Why would Rose Mary use this as her excuse?

“Just remember…what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger” (179) to Lori

What do you think? Ok….

Homes like this exist. Families like this exist.

What can children in homes like this do???What can people who knows homes like this

exist do…?

PP. 186-234 Defining moments

What are some of the life-altering defining moments for Jeannette in this section?

Children’s Services (193) She can’t just leave her family

The summer she becomes “mom” Learns what her mom has dealt with Being totally responsible for the welfare of siblings Her dad gives her a lot of credit (dealing w/drunk

man) No sympathy for mom

Jeannette Bivens Instills a love of journalism Gives Jeannette a way to connect to others

Defining moments, continuedBivens, continued

Finding out the whole story for the first timeHer mom

Standing up to her for not working (219) Telling her she’s a bad mom Defiance Says dad needed a strong woman, Mom is not

strong woman…true?Her dad

Spanks her…breaks her faith in him. Why? Steals the escape money. Result?