Memoirs and Authenticity
Memoirs have turned out to be one of the most popular literary forms in the contemporary world of literature. The challenge arises when one realizes that they are primarily based on personal knowledge which tends to be subjective as it is prone to distortion. The knowledge that one has cannot be ascertained in most situation and the fact that one is at liberty to give an account based on what they remember makes it a challenge to gauge the authenticity of the information. The situation thus necessitates the need to examine what one remembers in their life. In fact, it is even more relevant when one thinks of it in a personalized situation such as the setting where one has to recall issues about their life and write them down on paper. It is especially important to note that the process of remembering events in our lives relies on the photographic memory that one can establish about what transpired. In fact, I believe that the invention of photography was intended to enhance the way people remember issues. At a personal level, I deliberate that I can tell a story of my life without embellishment because I have a good memory as I am still young. It is unlikely that I will consider selective facts when describing my story because it is all dependent on the way one trains their brain to work because a true story is defined by the way one overcomes bias and selectiveness when narrative a personal story.
Nonconformity
The windblown Joshua Tree in the plot of the book represented a metaphor that Jeanette experienced when she was with her mother when it is stated that "It's the Joshua Tree's struggle that gives it its beauty” (Walls and Corral 34). The relevance of the idea was that it represented the concept of human individuality. It enabled the daughter to experience a world of her own where she was not judged by anyone as she was the ultimate decision-maker when it involved her goals, rights, and responsibilities. In fact, it is especially important that the struggles that people experience in college or as teenager transition into adulthood can be described as a function of the Joshua tree. It is relatable to Jeannette’s story because it depicts a beautiful tale that characterized her victory over the challenges she was experiencing. The interesting bit is when one realizes that the Joshua tree involved a scenario where the mother was creating hurdles that she wanted her daughter to become victorious. It, however, constituted the value of non-conformity because it is meant to keep kids positive about their lives and pretend that things are working out fine when in reality they are not. The non-conformity is thus perceived when one realizes that it is an unfair approach that one could use to get anyone doing something. It is a tale that makes us beautiful nevertheless because just as Jeannette, she managed to triumph and impress her mother with her exploits to overcome the challenges that had been set.
Symbolism
The essence of the choice of “The Glass Castle” as the title of the story is meant to have a symbolic effect to the reader. The title intends to make the reader relate to a castle that is made of glass that the family was planning to establish when they had enough resources and most importantly, gold. The vital feature of the title from the author’s choice is that it has a metaphorical significance. It is covered in the dream that the father believed was attainable as he deserved the best house for the family. The subject is complicated further by the fact that they had a cat that was named Quixote, possibly from being inspired by Don Quixote who was a man with ridiculous dreams. The other way of perceiving the book title is that it is intended to serve a symbolic role as it represented the family’s hope. The whole family could live with the thought that they will at one time experience a lavish lifestyle. The author thus had many other options that he could use to refer to the book title such as “The Chateau in Mind” or simply “The Homestead” to illustrate the attention that is placed on the illusionary house. It is, however, important to underscore the fact that the author’s choice for the selected title was meant to get the reader into thinking critically what could have been s unique about a castle that is mentioned in the book title.
Outlook
A unique skill that the author uses in the writing of the memoir is mentioning an issue in the middle of the text and thereafter following it up in the end. The relevance of this style is when one considers the statement made about what the father would teach them about physics, turbulence, and order. The relevance of the statement is that it served to give a clue to the reader of what was intended to be emphasized. While it is not explicitly covered in the introduction the style constitutes what could be described as the introduction, escalation of conflict and the resolution. Meaningful choices often play a significant role in enabling the reader to conceptualize the relevance of what the dad taught his children. The main effect that the approach has on the essay is that one can perceive the role of three phases of a story so that in the end, they can perceive the true meaning of the theory described. It is especially significant in the case of Jeannette Walls because through the comment, one can learn that the theory is mentioned in the middle, and in the end, it is proven that indeed, there are no rules in situations where there is a dilemma between the calming and hazardous effect. The ending of the memoir by this approach is thus significant as it enables the building of a recession point where after experiencing a climax in the storyline and the drama involving character the story comes to an end where everything resolves back to normal.
Education
Education is critical as it is the epitome of defining literacy and the ability to communicate. The author of the book, Jeanette Walls, is an example of a character whose prowess in writing novel is exhibited by the quality of education she received from the moment she enrolled in elementary all the way to college. The first school she attended was the Mary S. Black Elementary School where she started learning key concepts about literacy. The next as Emerson School that was followed by Welch Elementary and later Welch High School. The author finished her studies at Barnard College upon which she was well groomed into the writer that readers appreciate in the present day. It serves to illustrate that teachers and schools as a whole, train learners to be creative and expressive by combining individual experiences and that by the peers to improve content delivery. It is thus not a coincidence that Walls is so good in her works and especially in the way she wrote the book The Glass Castle. The significance of the list of schools she attended enable one to understand that education is a process and the perfection of a skill is a treacherous journey that the author sacrificed to undergo. It is thus a challenge for the aspiring writer who intended to attain the success as that by Wall because it will mean that they focus on all sources of information available in their learning institutions right from the elementary level to the college stage.
Work Cited
Walls, Jeannette, and Rodrigo Corral. The Glass Castle. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2005. Print.
