Glass Castle

What happens when Jeanette stands up to her mom? Why does she react that way? What is this an example of?

When Jeanette says that "you need to act more like a mother", it angers Rosemary a lot because she knows that Jeanette is right and she tries to avoid it. She tells the dad so the dad can yell at Jeanette, which is another example of role reversal.

Give examples of irony in the book.

- Jeanette tells herself that all her life she wont marry a person like dad and then she first marries a guy who is nothing like their father and she cant handle it, so she ends up marrying a person more like dad - parents always tell them to be self-sufficient but they are not self sufficient themselves - parents said that chewing gum is low class but parents are low class and they cause their kids to seem low class (no morals or standards) - when dad takes Jeanette out of the hospital, he says you're safe, but she was more safe in the hospital than at home - dad calls NYC a cesspool but they are pretty much living in a cesspool already

Name an example of role reversal.

- When the mom and the dad get into fights (when Dad asked for money from Grandma, when Dad almost pushed her out the window) - When the mom told on Jeanette for telling her to grow up

What major scene happened in Welch in Erma's house? How did this affect Brian, psychologically and physically?

Brian was molested, and when the dad came home, he took Erma's side and was an emotional coward. Because of this, Brian lost respect for his dad. Brian also became more overprotective of his siblings, which is not usual for younger siblings to do. *When he bites Jeanette's toes, he reassures her and tells her that everything is okay*

When does the dad try to stop drinking, and why? What was caused him to start drinking again after that and why?

For her birthday, Jeanette asks the dad to stop drinking, which made him realize that he is a failure to the family. His guilt convinces him to quit alcohol for a few months. Later in the summer, he takes the family on a road trip and when their car breaks down (in the Grand Canyon), a lady picks them up and kept saying "oh you POOR family.." and the dad interpreted it as no money, which caused him to go on a 3 day drinking binge.

What happened in the Green Lantern, and why did Brian not tell Jeanette?

For his birthday, Dad took Brian out to dinner along with a woman named Ginger. He noticed that Ginger had been very touchy towards him and his dad. Later, they went up to a hotel and the dad and Ginger went to a bedroom while Brian sat outside. He later realized that his dad cheated on his mom and he did not tell anyone to protect them.

Why was the dad whipping Jeanette such a significant event in the book? What would you call this situation that dad was in?

For the dad, this was a power struggle. He wants authority even when he doesn't deserve it, and Jeanette was dad to admit that he is a bad father and apologize. The dad is driven by pride, and Jeanette is driven by justice. Dad would lose her forever because "he knows that he is wrong and he knows that Jeanette knows too". Psychologically, the dad has lost her faith, trust and respect, and this is the beginning of him losing her physically too.

Who was Grandma Smith and how did their actions affect the family?

Grandma Smith was crazy, wild and free spirited when she was young. When she became pregnant with Rosemary, she realized she needed to turn her life around and be a good mother. She became so overbearing and overprotective that Rosemary rebelled against her and became just like she did. This was the cause of Rosemary's terrible parenting. This was also why Rosemary was so attracted to Rex: he was also the opposite of her mom.

Why did the dad not want to go to Welch? How did the kids convince him to come?

He did not want to face the fact that he was molested by his mother, and he drinks to get away from it. They convinced him to come by telling him that "he's the dad of the family" and making him feel wanted and useful.

Why did the father take all the money from Oz, and how did it affect Jeanette and Lori?

He took all of the money mainly because he did not want his kids to leave, because it would only further prove that he is such a bad father. The dad is drunk when they confront him, and he does not even care that he crushed their dreams and hopes, it is almost amusing to him. The kids had worked so hard to earn all of that money and the dad just took all of it.

why was it good that the family was arguing with each other at the courthouse?

It was healthy (mostly for the children) because they were able to let out all of their pent up anger about the parents and were able to release some of the tension.

Who was Mary Charlene and how did she have an impact on the dad?

Mary Charlene was a baby who was born before Jeanette, and died of crib death (no real cause). When the dad found her dead, it really shook him up, and caused him to drink more.

What is the main climax in this book, and why is it considered the main climax?

The main climax in this book is when Maureen stabs Rosemary for kicking her out. She is just sad and lonely, and it infuriated her that her mom kicked her out instead of comforting her. It made her even more angry because the mom said that she should be self sufficient when the parents aren't self sufficient themselves. This is the climax because it triggers pivotal events and is very shocking to the reader.