Independence of Jeannette [Final paper for The Glass Castle ]

“The Glass Castle” written by Jeannette Walls hails the independence of the writer. The reason behind her independence as a child was because her parents did not care or do enough for their children. It was because of this independence as a child, Jeannette grew up to be such a successful adult.

Raising young Jeannette to be independent was a good reason for her mother to neglect Jeannette. At only 3 years old, she made a hotdog all by herself, and also she said, “For me, making hotdogs is relatively easy.” Although the average three-year-old is barely old enough to eat, go to the bathroom, and get dressed by herself, she does most things by herself. From there, It's clear that many people would envy her for being so intelligent. But she grew up in an environment where she had to say, as her mother always said, "You are mature for your age. It’s just brainwashing that she will cook her own meals and will understand that this is normal, and can be communicated as if it is not child abuse in a conversation with others, as in the hospital scene. It is the mother who is creating the unusual situation of a three-year-old who is struggling to eat by herself, making her own meal, but to justify not taking care of her daughter adequately, she always tells her daughter that “you’re mature.” And the reason she says “making hotdogs is easy” even seems like she is being strong to prove that “I’m mature” to her mother. In other words, acting mature means she is independent.

She was able to check on people in the hospital because she always try to read her mother’s face at home as well. Her ability to communicate with doctors and nurses was so smooth that it was hard to believe she was only three years old. Just looking at the action of the nurse that write something down on the clipboard, she felt something and ask her “what was wrong?” When the doctor led her mother out of the room, she realized that doctor will tell her mother about the injury situation and tried to hear their conversation. Both of her actions are only possible because she is watching to see what is going on. While some three-year-olds cannot sit still and listen when someone speaks to them, she was even able to read other people's conversations and actions. She was so attentive to her mother that she would make hotdogs by herself so as not to disturb her mother's painting. It’s also the reason for her skill in communication.

Growing up, she remained independent. She lived in Park Avenue which is an affluent neighborhood in Manhattan, attended college on a scholarship, and wear pearls. So she made a lot of money and became what is commonly referred to as a successful person. Although she was married, the fact that her husband is not mentioned much in the story shows that she was not dependent on him, but was a strong woman on her own.

In conclusion, her life could be represented by “Independence.” Despite growing up in a complicated family, she grew up to be a wonderful woman. From an early age, her mother did not take care of her adequately and she spent much of her time alone. As a result, she had to take care of herself at a very young age and grew up to be an independent child.