The Glass Caste,
by Jeannette Walls, has a very unique introduction and start to the novel. In a
needy family, Walls often travels around the country just to find herself
moving away again. There is really no point in which she officially settles
somewhere. Walls’ parents, people very seemingly unfit for the parental job,
locate to the desert for the beginning of Jeannette’s childhood. She becomes
fascinated by nature. After relocating to West Virginia, attempting to leave growing
debt and alcoholism, the children realize their need to leave.
In an attempt to share her unique story, Jeannette Walls
illustrates the complications of families in America. Her story, although far
outside the norm, is only one of many similar unwritten stories of people whom
could not leave their hard lives. Walls expresses a want to free herself from
her past, giving the novel an occasion. She wants to run away from the lies and
hiding.
Although the situation Jeannette is in is very
troublesome and difficult, she constantly uses humor and diction to appeal to
her purpose. Humor is used throughout the book to create an inspirational tone.
Even when the worst parts of her childhood were being explained, the humor put
a hopeful tone in the book and foreshadowed the fact that Walls was able to
escape the constraints of her past. Diction is also used to appeal to the
purpose. Diction is used to describe the uniqueness of her childhood. Each time
the family relocated, the diction allowed the reader to understand the emotions
and the thoughts of the author.
Jeannette Walls wants to inform her audience about her
past in an attempt to teach them that no matter what, it is never too late to
liberate yourself from your past. She teaches the audience that keeping
struggles and lies inside make for inevitable disaster. I believe she does this
in an effective way and allows the audience to learn a lesson from a unique
perspective.
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