The Glass Castle - Essay Example

The life of the Walls’ can be likened to the that of a nomad. They are ever on the move because every town that they go to settle in, they always end up in some kind of trouble that prompts them to leave. Rex is a charismatic father figure but only when sober. He catches the dreams of his children and teaches them to face life fearlessly until he gets himself intoxicated. As the story progresses, his drinking problem intensifies to a point that he cannot control it and cannot fend for his family.

Jeanette has three other siblings namely; Brian, Lori and Maureen Walls. The three of them develop a tight bond because their family problems intensify and leave them no chance but to fend for themselves. Rose Mary Walls is the wife to Rex and the mother to Jeanette and her siblings. Her aspiration in life is to be a great artiste but that she does not quite achieve that. Looking closely at her behaviors and acts, one can deduce or come to a conclusion that Rose Mary Walls is a selfish woman.

Rose Mary is too lost in her own world of fantasy that she puts her own interests before those of her family. Jeanette and Brian are one day playing in the yard. They miraculously find a diamond ring in the yard. The two children are extremely astonished by the fact that they have found a diamond ring. The first thing that comes to their mind is food. The two dash to their mother and give her the ring hoping that she will sell it to buy food.

Instead, Rose Mary decides to keep the ring to herself.. This shows the selfish nature of Rose because she considers her family a burden which has hindered her from becoming an artist. Jeanette’s confrontation with Rose Mary also depicts that Rose Mary is selfish. Jeanette suggests that her mother should leave Rex, whose drinking problem at the time has gotten way out of hand along-side his gambling, so that the family can receive the welfare that the government gives to desolate families along the Little Hobart Street.

These funds can help Rose Mary to start a fresh and give her children a way out of the poverty. However, Rose Mary relinquishes this idea because she can’t stand the idea that applying for welfare would mean that she has to leave her husband. She gives a vague excuse that the reason she cannot apply for welfare is because it will cause psychological problems. Her self-centeredness prompts her to stay with her drunk husband at the expense of the suffering of her children. After Rose Mary dismisses the suggestion of applying for welfare, Jeanette suggests that she looks for a job; a teaching job to be precise.

From all her suggestions, it is plainly clear that Jeanette wants the best for her family; she tries to push her mother to make effort but all her attempts are futile. Her mother’s ego takes the better part of her and she refuses to apply for the teaching job. To her, that is a horrible life because she is an “excitement addict”. Rose Mary’s inconsideration of her Children is also an indication that she is selfish. After Rex loses his job, there is barely enough food for the children to feed on.

The situation gets worse when Rex gets more involved with alcohol and gambling. Whatever little earnings he