The Joshua Tree symbolizes the strength and beauty of something and the struggles are what give it its beauty. Jeanette and her family were driving and she looks out to the window and she saw a tree standing at an angle it was growing sideways which shows that this tree is unique and different. “From the time the Joshua tree was a tiny sapling, it had been so beaten down by the whipping wind that, rather than trying to grow skyward, it had grown in the direction that the wind pushed it. It existed now in a permanent state of windblown, leaning over so far that it seemed ready to topple, although its roots held it firmly in place” (Walls 35).
The words in this sentence “it had been so beaten down by the whipping wind”. This shows that maybe Jeanette has been beaten down by her parents and how they don’t have any money to survive and this also shows how Jeanette’s family is dysfunctional. This can also relate to the wall kids because they have not been raised properly for example they weren’t raised with proper parents or rules and this could show how they could be so beaten down. The Walls kids and Jeanette are really similar because they both grew up with parents who didn’t really care about them and they both feel like they are different and are not like the rest of the kids. The Joshua Tree also reminds us about the The Wall kids and how they can be seen as an individual Joshua Tree.
The Joshua Tree stands out because of its differences. “Mom frowned at me “You’d be destroying what makes it special,” she said. “It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty” (Walls 38). The word choice being used in this quote is beauty. Beauty shows that Rose Mary does not think the tree is beautiful because it doesn’t grow straight like the rest of the trees she thinks it is beautiful because of the struggles that it had and its differences and uniqueness. The Joshua Tree shows how people can be seen differently and when Jeanette was younger she did not understand the struggles and she thinks the tree is ugly when it is really beautiful. This can also show how Jeanette’s mom can mostly always light up a situation even though the roots are struggling a little bit. Jeanette’s mom really loved the tree and thought it was the most beautiful tree she ever saw. “One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight” (Walls 52). This shows how Jeanette wanted to protect the tree and make sure nothing bad happens to it. For example, Jeanette didn’t have any support or help from her parents and she wants to help the tree because she knows it feels.
The tangled branches show how imperfect the tree is and this represents its uniqueness and how it's different this relates to Jeanette because Jeanette is different from the other kids because her family doesn’t have a lot of money and she has a lot of family issues. The idea of the tree having challenges to grow as strong as it has shown the coming of age for Jeanette and how she changed. Jeanette learned how to do things on her own at such a young age which helped her become more independent as she grew up.
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Symbolism of the Joshua Tree in ‘The Glass Castle’: Critical Essay.
(2023, September 25). Edubirdie. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/symbolism-of-the-joshua-tree-in-the-glass-castle-critical-essay/
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Symbolism of the Joshua Tree in ‘The Glass Castle’: Critical Essay [Internet]. Edubirdie.
2023 Sept 25 [cited 2024 Dec 24].
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