American Dream and The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle has many connections to the American Dream.

So first, what the heck is the American Dream?
Here is a definition from www.dictionary.com 

 

 

So now I want basically illustrate what the Wallses had. Good and bad.



 

 

 

I want to touch point on all 4 of these traits. So if you are only interested in one then scroll down to that section. Please note that these findings are purely based on my view of the American Dream.

 

 

Family



The Walls were a [relatively] close knit family. Brian, Jeannette, Lori and Maureen were all very close. (Maureen wasn't as close to the other siblings...but she was still connected) These children would spend almost every waking moment together. (They even slept in the same bed.) Being close, in my opinion, seems to be a very typical trait of a family living the American Dream.

 

On the other hand, their family was EXTREMELY dysfunctional. Rex Walls was a severe alcholic; Rose Walls had something going on in her mind that put barriers on what she was mentally capable of. For example, Rose would pitch temper-tantrums once a week about going to work. Maureen was practically living with other people. Brian and Jeannette (in particular) were being sexually harrased consistantly, and the parents shrugged it off.

 

 

 

Cooking





 

In a typical family, living the American Dream, the mother cooks all of the meals. In the Glass Castle, Rose cooks the food. I mean, she doesn't cook on a regular basis, but when someone needs to prepare food Rose does it. Often, Rose will make enough food for one month, and it will just sit on the counter. Eventually, rodents and pests will infest the food. Sadly, during many times the family doesn't have food to eat or the food is uneatable.

 

 

Father

 

An extremely important part of the American Dream family is the father. In the dream, the father is the dominant figure and is headstrong. Rex fits this mold perfectly. Although in my vision, I believe that the father (figure) works to pay for the family. That is one thing that rex doesn't do. Additionally, the dad is a very important person; his job is to inspire, educate, and set a good example. For the most part, Rex is this person. The only thing that Rex doesn't do is: set a good example. Throughout the book we can see how much Jeannette idolizes her father. As stated in the book, these children were smarter than all of the other kids in their classes, and most of the education came from their father.

 

The Glass Castle

 

Everyone's dream is to own, design, and decorate their dream home. Throughout the book, all characters talk about the 'Glass Castle'. The glass castle is the dream home that Rex (and the kids) designed for them to live in. In their last house, the children even dug out the foundation/basement. Sadly, it never got built. The family was to poor, Rex was too drunk to build it, and (I guess) the family was happy with their house.