TGC - Comprehension Questions Notes (by section)

THE GLASS CASTLE NOTES Pages 3-41 (3-25) · Rose Mary = RM = Jeannette’s (J’s) Mom · Rex = R = J’s Dad · Jeannette lives in NYC on Park Avenue (rich area) in a nice apartment · RM = lives like a homeless person & digs through dumpsters · J asks RM to lunch to discuss situation · RM tells J she doesn’t need J’s help · RM tells J to tell people the “truth” when they ask · Brian = B = Jeannette’s younger brother – 1 YEAR YOUNGER · Lori = L = Jeannette’s older sister – 4 YEARS OLDER · J is 3 years old – burns herself cooking hotdogs without parental supervision · J has skin graft – spends 6 weeks in hospital · J loves hospital (clean, orderly, quiet, food, attention) – all things she doesn’t get at home · R checks out “Rex-Walls style” from the hospital with J (steals her) · J becomes obsessed with fire = burns Tinkerbell · Grandma Smith = GS (RM’s mom) ● Lives in Phoenix, AZ ● GS & R do not get along b/c R drinks and does have a job. GS thinks R is not good enough for RM ● Wealthy ● J loves GS because there is order and rules at her house · R wants to invent the “Prospector” ● A Machine that digs up gold and separates it from the dirt ● This machine will fund the “Glass Castle” (26-41) · Mary Charlene = MC = the baby that died of “crib death” · J goes flying out of the car – R makes her laugh (“snot-locker) ● The family moves to Midland – Mom paints Joshua tree (symbol of the family = ugly; rooted together; different) ● R gives good advice to J about facing fears (“Demon Hunting”) ● RM is pregnant, again ● RM = artist & writer BUT also has a teaching certificate ● Kids don’t believe in Santa ● R loses job - again ● R’s Christmas present = Stars to each child/J picks out a star, but it’s really a planet -- Venus Pages 42-72 (42-57) ● R chases RM argument – chases RM w/car – J worried for unborn baby (Maureen) ● Family moves to Blythe = bigger city ● The kids attend public school ● J jumped by 4 Mexican girls – J lies about standing up for herself - R is proud ● B helps J fight girls w/yucca branch ● Must move to Battle Mountain, NV after R runs from police ● Take a U-haul – kids in back (14+ hours) ● Back door flies open – R = furious/scared ● Move in to railroad depot ● Furniture (cardboard boxes = beds; wire spools = tables) ● Piano ends up in “yard” = RM happy · J & B light a shack on fire and almost die – R saves B · The Green Lantern = “Cat” house; B talks to the lady on the porch (58-72) ● The family pets = wild animals (i.e. a snakes; coyote; Buzzard they name Buster; flies; lizards; etc) ● Family swims at Hot Pot = a natural sulfur spring in the desert ● R “teaches” J to swim – allows J to drown – J learns to push away ● R loses job - again ● Dad disappears to Owl club ○ Gambles ○ Maureen asks “Where Dad?” ● Kids go hungry – keep it to themselves ○ J & B scavenge ■ J steals other kids lunch ■ B steals pickles from neighbor ● J & L eat margarine & sugar ○ RM gets angry ○ RM wanted to eat it herself? ● J says “I was hungry” ● RM & R argue over responsibility ○ RM hangs outside 2nd floor window ○ Did R push her out? Did she throw herself? Pages 73-101 (73-80) ● Mom gets job as teacher for $ ○ RELAXED ○ no rules ○ hates working – L, J & B have to do the work · Mom whips L to prove capable of discipline ● R wants to handle finances ○ RM tries to hide to $ in sock ● R asks children – “Have I ever let you down.” B responds “yes” – so low R can’t hear ● B ignores Ginger from Green Lantern ○ B “lost” comic book (his B-day gift) after R slept with Ginger (81-93) ● J = 8 yrs old ● J meets Billy Deel = BD = Juvenile delinquent; smokes; dad is a drunk; tries to rape J ● BD gives J his dead mother’s ring – Later, J throws it at him ● BD attacks Walls kids with BB gun at depot ● L and J fire R’s real gun at BD ● Family must show up to court – do the skedaddle before morning ● J finds out GS is dead ○ RM inherited a house and $ ○ Family moves to North Third Street, Phoenix, AZ ● House gets dirty/termites Pages 102-125 (102-105) ● Windows/doors left open at Phoenix house ● J is touched by a “pervert” ○ B chases him off ○ J & B go “pervert hunting” at night ○ windows/doors remain open – “never surrender to fear” ● RM and children swim in local decorative fountain ○ J = embarrassed ○ “never surrender to others judgment” ● R has outbursts at church (106-115) ● Dad hates city life ○ feels caged in ● Family goes to zoo ○ J pets a cheetah ● Dad lost his job 3 more times ● M has imaginary friends ● RM shoplifts dresses ● R steals $ from the bank (double withdrawal) ● J tries liquor ○ B steal R’s liquor bottles for disposal ● R ruins Christmas ○ Lights the tree on fire ○ Family stamps on presents to put out fire (116-125) ● J asks R to stop drinking as a present for her 10th birthday ● R goes through detox ● Family tries to move to Grand Canyon for a change ○ Car breaks down in desert ● Family “hitchhikes” home to Phoenix ○ J angry with woman who calls family “poor” ● R disappears & ends up at bar ● RM wants to move again and start over ○ Family moves to parents hometown - Welch, WV – in the Appalachian Mountains Pages 129-148 ● Family moves from Phoenix to Welch, WV. ● Erma = E = Grandma Walls = Enormous – cigarette/liquor smell- mean ● Grandpa Ted & Uncle Stanley = US ● The house is dilapidated – family sleeps in basement ● Tug River (filled with fecal matter) ● Kids attend public school ● Dinitia Hewitt = DH = (a black girl who bully’s J) ● Kids enrolled in classes for kids with disabilities ● J saves Dinitia’s neighbor from dog – they become friends ● E is very racist - RM doesn’t back J up in fight with E ● R & RM go back to Phoenix for “stuff” ● E molests B - Kids are banished to basement ● R yells at B for being a “pussy” – Did E molested R? Pages 149-163 · Family is banished from E’s house · They buy a house at 93 Little Hobart Street for $1000 · House = falling apart – no indoor plumbing; can’t afford electricity – wiring is wrong; roof leaks; house is lopsided · R believes that Welch is now “home” · R tells kids they will build “Glass Castle” o J & B dig a ditch o R fills the ditch with the garbage · RM = a sugar addict – rats enter house · “Rufus The Rat” attacks M in bed · J tries to paint house yellow - no one helps · J visits Ginnie Sue Paster = GSP, the town whore · J realizes that the town whore’s family has more food than her own family Pages 164-205 · Welch = a fighting town · “The Battle of Little Hobart Street” = Ernie Goad & gang call J’s family garbage & start a rock fight. · J & B use old mattress to hurdle rocks at the boys. · J sews up R’s arm · The kids scavenge for food – but RM becomes heavier o RM eats maggoty canned ham o RM hides/eats chocolate bar · Erma dies o E prepares obituary herself o RM kisses corpse. o L says, “ding-dong the witch is dead” – R says he’s ashamed · R gets drunk at bar – J needs to get R home via pickup truck with stranger who says she has “big plans for the daughter of the family drunk” · G and U.S. move to an apartment (after fire from cigarette) o J uses bathroom to shower o J is touched inappropriately by U.S. o RM says, “He’s so lonely” & “So many women make such a big deal out of these things.” · Mold spreads over house/porch in Springtime = danger o Family uses a bucket inside house as a bathroom · B and J find a diamond ring - RM keeps it to build self esteem. · J asks RM to leave R so they can get government aide o RM says welfare “scars” a person. o RM says getting a job is an awful life o RM says leaving R is against the Catholic faith · J goes swimming with Dinitia · Child welfare come to Wall’s house – parents not home – J lies o J confronts RM – RM agrees to get a job o RM works as a teacher – still kids go hungry b/c they have no budget Pages 206-221 · M obsessed with California – Spends time with Pentecostal neighbors/snake handles · J left head of house when RM goes to Charleston/L attends summer art camp · R uses J at a bar to “work” Robbie (get money) – J is almost rapped · J takes a job at Jewelry store · RM returns & refuses to go to work – J talks back · R whips J – J plans escape Pages 222-241 · Ken & Bob come to Welch & talk to L about opportunities in NYC (film/art) · L & J make plan for escape fund = OZ o L will go first o Each child contributes different ways including homework help; contracted art projects/cutting grass…etc) · R sabotages L’s move o ruins clay bust of Shakespeare o steals $ from OZ · L leaves Welch through a babysitting job · J makes plans to leave at 17 (in-state tuition) – guidance counselor is against the move · RM = selfish – doesn’t want J to leave b/c RM believes that it should be her and not J that gets to go · R shows J the Glass Castle blueprints – J tells R to build it, but not for her b/c she’s leaving · R shows to the station – gives J the demon hunting knife for protection Pages 245-265 · L & J move into apartment in the South Bronx – J works at a hamburger joint – then later as a freelance writer · Things get worse in Welch – Brian sleeps under inflatable raft – he decides to leave, too – later, M comes to NYC · R disowns L - feels that L is “stealing” his children · J’s boss (Mike) tells J she needs college degree · RM & R arrive in NYC – J hears about it on the radio · R says he came so they can “be a family again” · R & RM’s van is impounded – they move in with L · L kicks R & RM out b/c they are hording/fighting/R is drinking · The parents become homeless BUT love it · J gets into an argument about why people are homeless with favorite professor Fuchs (J argues that some “choose” to be) · J cannot afford college tuition – R gives her $950 in crumpled dollar bills and a $50 fur Pages 266-288 · R & RM live in an abandoned building (squatters) · J lives with John – her first husband – on Park Avenue · RM reveals that the land in Texas is worth over 1 million dollars – J is ANGRY · J discovers that R is very sick – R’s last words to J are, “Have I ever let you down?” – J smiles · R passes and J feels like she doesn’t belong – she leaves J & rediscovers herself · 5 years after R’s death, the family has Thanksgiving meal at J’s new house in Virginia · Jeannette does not play the part of the victim – instead, perseverance is a strong theme.