November 17

The Glass Castle 91-125

Pick one of the below prompts. Please respond by Sunday, November 23, 2008 by 10:30 p.m.

  • Feel free to comment on any motifs or symbols that you have noticed so far. Make an inference (give an educated guess) and see what you come up with on your own!
  • Rose Mary says she is an “excitement addict.” How does this addiction or Rex’s addiction further complicate their turbulent lives? How do the childrens’ reactions to their parents’ addictions exacerbate the situation? Think about Christmas if you need help on this one.
  • When Brian, Lori and Jeannette tell their dad about thier placement in the gifted program, their dad tells them that he had always told them they were special. With a “sideways look”, Brian says “If we’re so special,” he said slowly, “why don’t you…” and stops (95). What does he not say? Give your best guess. Think about Brian (his character) and how he differs from Jeannette, especially in his relationship with his dad.
  • Roach massacres, pervert hunting, patching termite infested floors with chickenwire to violent drunken church disruptions….these are some of the tragic and comic tales Walls relates. Post an insightful comment on any that stood out to you.
Category: Advanced Composition, The Glass Castle | 22 Comments on The Glass Castle 91-125
November 17

The Glass Castle 1-66

Please respond to any of the below prompts. You must respond by Thursday, November 20, 2008 by 10:30 pm. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS! Please do not procrastinate. A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part-anonymous sage.

As with Hole in My Life, there are some good quotes in The Glass Castle. Here are some that I noted, please feel free to comment on any of them, or mention your own and discuss what you think it means and/or why you chose it.

  • You can’t live in fear of something as basic as fire (15).
  • She disapproved of chewing gum…[i]t was a disgusting low-class habit…(12).
  • I wasn’t use to the quiet and order, and I liked it (11).
  • Your values are all confused (5)
  • You’re way too easily embarassed. Your father and I are who we are. Accept it (5).
  • A cloud sprayed out behind the plane, and a fine white powder came sprinkling down on our heads (46).
  • I didn’t have the answers to those questions, but what I did know was that I lived in a world that any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes (34).

A motif is an recurring event, image, or situation that an author uses to convey a deeper message. Motifs work much like symbolism, except they are not objects. Pick any of the below and discuss how they are motifs. What is Wall’s message? (hey…this would be great practice for an essay or a short answer:))

  •  the Joshua Tree
  •  building the glass castle
  •  prospecting
  •  doing the skedaddle
  •  loss of pets

Rex and Rose Walls have unique outlooks on parenting, society, conformity and basic “middle class values.” Pick any of these aspects and critique (discuss the positive/negative aspects) them. 

 

 

Category: Advanced Composition, The Glass Castle, Uncategorized | 32 Comments on The Glass Castle 1-66