Polishing Literary Response : Gifts that led to trials
How individuals respond to the trials of lifes adversity will influence the values and morals of one’s identity. The different reactions of adversity are shown in the novel The Glass Castle. The author Jeanette Walls reveals her unstable childhood growing up with an idealistic outlook, selfish parents and no money to eventually become the successful journalist and author she is today. With this she explores the idea that naive individuals reactions to adversity changes overtime from innocence, betrayal and acceptance finally.
Looking for the good in a challenging situation can be hard, but when the innocence of a child blinds the difficult truth it becomes natural. Jeanette lived her childhood as an adventure by constantly skedaddling and sleeping underneath the stars. Near the beginning of Jeanette’s childhood, her father and mother could not afford Christmas presents because of their selfishness and instead try to compensate their failure of parenting by giving Jeanette and her siblings all a star. When it becomes Jeanette’s turn she does not pick a star but the planet Venus, which her father, Rex, gave her anyway. Jeanette innocence makes the gift be significantly special to her because she is unaware of the real reason the family lacks money and food. Truthfully it is because Rex and Rosemary decide not to have the motivation a dedication for providing simple necessities for their children. Because Jeanette is so grateful for the gift, the Walls parent believe that living in poverty was just as easy to make the family happy while continuing to live in an hungry household. Jeanette Walls shows the significance of why she still has such hope and open-mindedness as an adult because she was blindly raised to look at the good in any situation rather than focusing on realism.
Adversity can be harshly impactful once revealed to an individual, especially a child because they begin to lose their innocence. Jeanette displays this by beginning to blame the adversity instead of her father’s betrayal. For her tenth birthday, Jeanette asked her father to stop drinking alcohol because she recognized that it was hurting the family. Rex promised to do so and Jeanette has known him for not breaking said promises but he eventually does go back on to his bad habit. Jeanette feels betrayed by her father and blames all the poor diversity instead of her dad specifically. This false leading adversity led Jeanette to be angry at her mother who was capable of helping the family because she had lost faith in her father to do so. Jeanette became more motivated to get out of the unstable life she had been living. This gets Jeanette to grow expecting and deserving more for herself than her parents ever provided for her. Jeanette reveals to the reader how adversity does not have to leave to pain but as motivation to thrive.
Forgiving and accepting the failures and struggles of past and present adversity will provide confidence. Near the end of the novel, the family separately lives in NewYork city and comes together for Christmas. At first, Jeanette finds it challenging to accept that her parents rather be homeless than stay with her or one of her siblings but eventually realizes this is what they want and to show her support she buys them warm clothes as a Christmas gift. Though her father responded negatively she begins to recognize that her childhood is part of her identity and she must embrace the adversity she has overcome. Because of her realization, Jeanette has confidently foreign and shared her past adversity.
Over time the perspectives on how an individual reacts to adversity can change from hope to forgiveness. Jeanette Walls experienced trials in her life through the gifts she has received, been promised and have given. From her Christmas present as a child to be a planet, her undelivered non-alcoholic father birthday present and eventually the stay warm acceptance present to her parents. In conclusion, our adversity is what inspires our values, morals and motivation in our lives so respecting our embarrassing failures is essential in becoming our true potential.