This thesis deals with the generational shift and the question of the American Dream in the novels of Jeannette Walls. One extraordinary book by this American author is the "Glass Castle: A Memoir". This autobiography reveals shocking details of her childhood. The reader cannot believe that parents of four children are that inconsiderate to follow their own interests and neglect the little ones disregarding their basic needs like nourishment, a warm and clean shelter and the possibility of regular school attendance. For several years the family is of no fixed abode and roams through many American states. The children often go hungry and at school their mates mock them because of their worn-out clothes.
When the novel "Half Broke Horses" was published the reader might have hoped to get to know more about the family’s background and Jeannette’s mother Rose Mary who often treats her children heartlessly and acts selfishly. This novel is concerned with Lily, Jeannette’s grandmother. The reader learns a lot about her upbringing and her strict way of educating Rose Mary. Both novels, covering at least sixty years, also reflect the American history and values of that time.
The thesis, therefore, examines in how far one can speak of a generational shift regarding the women of the families and their role models. As all members of the family strive to reach their personal goals in life it also wants to find out which components of the American Dream are relevant to them and what they can realize.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Jeannette Walls and her family saga in consideration of the American Dream
2.1 The American Dream: A Short Historical Background
2.2 Jeannette Walls- a brief biography
2.3 “Half Broke Horses”
2.4 “The Glass Castle: A Memoir”
3. The development of Lily Casey’s character
3.1 Her childhood and her parents’ influence on her education
3.2 Lily on her way to be an early feminist
3.3 Lily’s marriage to Jim
3.4 Lily – a possible role model for other women
3.5 The relationship between mother and daughter and the family
4. Rex and Rose Mary’s methods of education and values of life- their way of bringing up their four children in “The Glass Castle
4.1 The relationship between Rex and Rose Mary including their visions and hopes for the family
4.2 Symbols and metaphors in Rex’s and Rose Mary’s world
4.3 The parents’ attitude towards status, education and work
4.4 Jeannette’s preposterous childhood between weaponry, alcohol and unfulfilled wishes for freedom
4.5 “The Glass Castle” as a symbol of the American Dream
5. Conclusion
5.1 Generational shift concerning educational concepts of Lily, Rose Mary and Jeannette
5.2 How the American Dream comes to reality in both novels
6. My personal comment
Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the generational shift regarding women's roles and the relevance of the American Dream in the family saga of Jeannette Walls, as portrayed in her novels "Half Broke Horses" and "The Glass Castle: A Memoir". The research explores how individual family members define their personal goals, the extent to which they achieve these goals, and the impact of the parents' educational methods and life values on the children's development and their quest for stability.
- The influence of generational background on educational concepts and life choices.
- Analysis of the American Dream as a diverse and evolving concept within the family history.
- Character development and the pursuit of self-realization in Lily Casey and the Walls family.
- The impact of parental upbringing, including neglect and unconventional parenting, on resilience.
- The role of symbolism and metaphor in shaping the family's worldview.
Excerpt from the Book
Symbols and metaphors in Rex’s and Rose Mary’s world
Jeannette’s parents use various symbols and metaphors to explain the world to their children. They sometimes succeed in teaching an awareness of life and the beauty of nature. They create illusions for their children, i.e. one year for Christmas, Rex goes into the desert with his kids one by one to give them a star as a present. When Jeannette questions the fact that one cannot own the star he answers, “Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten, you'll still have your stars”. Stars symbolize the values of the family: material things do not matter. The only thing that matters is the beauty of nature and the kindness between individuals.
Another symbol is the Joshua tree, that Rose Mary spots in the desert. The tree is indicative of the effect the struggles of life have on each of the characters in the memoir. It appears dysfunctional like the Walls’ family, but beneath the dysfunction is love that thrives on hardships, just like the tree. Constantly blown by wind, the Joshua tree grows sideways, not upwards and, as their mother declares, becomes beautiful because of its struggles, which represents Rose Mary’s love to each kind of individual on earth.
When Jeannette devises a plan to put the Joshua tree upright which has grown sideways in the direction of the constant wind that passes over it, her mother quickly dismisses the idea, by frowning at her, "You'd be destroying what makes it special' she said, 'It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty”.
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the thesis, focusing on the generational shift and the American Dream within Jeannette Walls' family history as depicted in her two major works.
2. Jeannette Walls and her family saga in consideration of the American Dream: Provides a historical definition of the American Dream and an overview of the author’s life and the literary context of her books.
3. The development of Lily Casey’s character: Analyzes the upbringing and life experiences of Jeannette’s grandmother, highlighting her toughness, self-reliance, and development as an early feminist.
4. Rex and Rose Mary’s methods of education and values of life- their way of bringing up their four children in “The Glass Castle: Examines the unconventional and often dysfunctional parenting methods of Rex and Rose Mary, and how these shaped their children.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the generational shifts in educational concepts and assesses how the various family members realized or failed to realize aspects of the American Dream.
6. My personal comment: Offers the author's reflection on the resilience shown by the children despite their challenging upbringing.
Keywords
American Dream, Generational Shift, Jeannette Walls, Family Saga, Resilience, Upbringing, Education, Self-Reliance, Lily Casey Smith, The Glass Castle, Half Broke Horses, Nonconformity, Parental Neglect, Personal Development, Memoir.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the "generational shift" and the validity of the "American Dream" within the family history presented by Jeannette Walls in her novels.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
Key themes include the impact of upbringing on children, the struggle for self-realization, the tension between nonconformity and social stability, and the influence of family history on personal values.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The goal is to analyze how different generations of the family (Lily, Rose Mary, and Jeannette) have defined their personal goals and interacted with the components of the American Dream.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The research is a literary analysis, examining the texts in chronological order to develop the characters' motivations and comparing educational philosophies across three generations.
What does the main body cover?
It covers historical contexts, character analysis of Lily Casey, parental education methods in "The Glass Castle," the symbolism used throughout the texts, and the final assessment of the American Dream's reality in their lives.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as American Dream, generational shift, resilience, dysfunctional parenting, and self-reliance.
How does the "Joshua tree" symbolize the family's situation?
It symbolizes the Walls family because, like the tree, they appear dysfunctional and twisted, yet their beauty and resilience are born out of the hardships they face in their environment.
Why does the author argue that the children were forced to become parents?
The author argues this because the parents' alcoholism, unpredictability, and selfishness left the children responsible for their own basic needs and for regulating their parents' behavior.
Is the concept of the American Dream fulfilled in these novels?
The author concludes that while Lily Casey achieved a version of the dream through hard work and determination, the dream remained elusive or was lost in the lives of Rex and Rose Mary, though their children eventually found their own paths to success.
- Quote paper
- Jenny Brocker (Author), 2014, Generational shift and the American Dream in the Novels of Jeannette Walls, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/430138
