The novel “The
Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls, should be an encouraged, yet challenged book
because it touches on controversial topics, has edgy sexual content, but also
portrays how ignorant American society is of the real problems of poverty in
America.
The “Glass
Castle” has priceless messages, and life experience recorded between its
pages. Jeanette Walls really illustrates a usually avoided topic, poverty, and
tells readers the truth about poverty in America. While Jeanette was at university, in class one
day, the topic of what is the real reason for poverty comes up. Professor Fuchs
inquires Jeanette about her thoughts on the issue and if the government is to
blame for people in poverty. Jeanette says, "if some of them were willing
to work hard and make compromises, they might not have ideal lives, but they
could make ends meet.” The Professor replies, "What do you know about the
lives of the underprivileged? …What do you know about the hardships and
obstacles that the underclass faces?" (Walls 166).
Jeanette wants
to illustrate how the only reason for poverty is not the government or drugs,
sometimes people put this on themselves. She said “they might not have ideal
lives, but they could make ends meet” this is important because she learns this
throughout her own life. If Jeanette’s own parents had been “willing to make
sacrifices”, then although the family would not have been wealthy, they would
have been living in good house conditions and had food. However, this is not
received well by her own teacher who yells at her about how she does not know
anything about the “lives of the underprivileged”. This goes to show that her
teacher is the one who does not know about the lives of the
underprivileged. There is a truly
amazing message of how people should not judge someone on where that person is
now in that person’s life. There is a good chance the person had to work hard
to get there. Americans in the upper and middle classes are ignorant of how the
lower class works. Jeanette knows first-hand how life is when living in extreme
poverty, and this book needs to be encouraged to be read by students so this
knowledge can be passed on. If “The Glass Castle” is a banned book, then the
ignorance that leads to the rejection of such ideas, like the one Jeanette
prompted in her classroom, and ultimately the society will never learn anything
new, or develop to have better educated people.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have read the first book "Broken Horses" by Jeanette Walls and i thought it was a very good book but there was some controversial topics as well. But it also teaches important life lessons through her experiences in her life. Readers can take from the lessons Lily Casey has learned and put them into their own lives. This makes me really want to read the "Glass Castle" and see what else Jeanette's grandmother has experience and learned from her life.
ReplyDeleteI think I would really like to read this book. It seems like a really interesting story and it sounds like it should be a must-read book. I agree with you though, that it should also be challenged. I have heard from others about the sexual content in the book that would make it challenged. I think we, as high-schoolers, could learn a lot from it though. It is important for us to be able to open ourselves to the way that other people live. Through this book we can learn about living in poverty and be able to experience it first hand with the author.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you wrote this, i have heard great things about this book. It is an important novel, and i enjoy your emphasis on the books illustration of poverty instead of its sexual content. Based on reading about this book and hearing about from different people i do hear that it is worth a read, and i dont know enough to say whether or not it should be read in school. But if the moral integrity of the novel is strong then i agree that it should be read.
ReplyDeleteI also read the Glass Castle and totally agree with your points. Some people do bring poverty onto themselves. Rex Walls and Rose Mary both want to be poor. I also agree that the book should be challenged. The book is very vulgar and has sexual content but the messages that the book brings are much greater in comparison.
ReplyDeleteI agree saying that the if the book has vulgar content excessively then the book should be up for challenge. Since the book as you said, touches on topics that are usually avoided it does make the book a lot more of a book that should be encouraged more than discouraged. I have heard many people tell me how amazing this book is and I am trying to find the time to read it. How do we know that the vulgar content that is included within this text is excessive?
ReplyDelete