Outside Reading- Week 2, Post A

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Vocab

Oleander [bush] (94): A poisonous Eurasian evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) having fragrant white, rose, or purple flowers, whorled leaves, and long follicles containing numerous comose seeds. Also called rosebay.

Obsidian: Acid or granitic glass formed by the rapid cooling of lava without crystallization; usually dark, but transparent in thin pieces

Appeals

1.)“‘Dad lost his job.’ […] ‘I guess we can eat less,’ I said. ‘We have before,’ Lori said.”(pg. 67). This is an emotional appeal because it shows how much they are used to having to suffer from their parents’ mistakes. It shows Jeannette and Lori’s pain. I think that “before” is a loaded word in this sentence because is describes that they have starved themselves before for their family’s sake. It makes you think about how it would be to be starving for not once, but many times before.
2.)Hunger (69) Jeannette talks with her mom about how she was hungry and there was nothing left in the fridge, but margarine, and so she ate it. She will do anything to lessen her hunger. Jeannette trys to make a point not only to he careless mother, but to us as readers “Raising my voice, I added, ‘I was hungry.’” (pg. 69). This is an emotional appeal.
3.)“Then Mom’s feet appeared in the window, followed by the rest of her body. She was dangling from the second floor […] ‘Help!’ Mom screamed. ‘He’s trying to kill me!’”(pg.71). This is an emotional appeal because it engages the reader, and makes them wonder and worry about what will happen.

Quote

“Were you acting up?” I asked Lori when I heard about the whipping
“No,” Lori said
“Then why would mom paddle you?”
“She had to punish someone, and she didn’t want to upset the other kids,” Lori said” (pg 75)
I think this quote shows how Lori and Jeannette’s mom cares more about how others think of than how well her kids are being treated. I think that the mother is very insensitive and couldn’t care less about her children. All she spends time doing is her art. She is clueless about where her children are during the day and if they are hungry or not. If Lori is in pain it didn’t matter as long as she was pleasing others (she was trying to please the principal by proving she could punish someone).

Theme

I think that a theme so far is uncertainty. Jeannette, and the rest of the family is always uncertain about where they will live, if they will have enough food, and if their lives will continue on as they are or if they will soon change. Also the children in the family are uncertain about how they will be treated, if their parents will have jobs, and if they will go to school. Uncertainty has lead to their good life with lots of food and new things, but has also lead to a miserable life of always running from something, and always hungry.