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Description
Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle , Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose... read more
Cast of Characters/Important People
- Rex Walls: Rex Walls is Jeannette's father. He can be a great and fun dad, teaching his children and showing them things that others cannot see. But when he is drinking, he comes home and ruins everything that they earn. Jeannette and her siblings struggle to cope with their alcoholic dad, who is taking away their hard earned money and putting them in uncomfortable situations.
- Rose Mary Walls: Add a description of this character.
- Brian
- Lori
- Maureen
Memorable Quotes
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“We called the kitchen the loose-juice room, because on the rare occasions that we had paid the electricity bill and had power, we'd get a wicked electric shock if we touched any damp or metallic surface in the room...If we got a shock, we'd announce it to everyone else, sort of like giving a weather report. "Big jolt from touching the stove today," we'd say. "Wear extra rags."”
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“Things usually work out in the end. What if they don’t? That just means you haven’t come to the end yet.”
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“One thing about whoring: It put a chicken on the table.”
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“"Mom told us we would have to go shoplifting. "Isn't that a sin?" I asked Mom. "Not exactly," Mom said. "God doesn't mind you bending the rules a little if you have a good reason. It's sort of like justifiable homicide. This is justifiable pilfering.""”
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“The next day she had blisters the length of her thighs. "Just remember," Mom said after examining the blisters. "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger." "If that was true, I'd be Hercules by now," Lori said.”
First Sentence
I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.
Table of Contents
I. A Woman on the Street
II. The Desert
III. Welch
IV. New York City
V. Thanksgiving
Authors & Contributors
- Jeannette Walls (Author)
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