The Glass Castle

Discussion Questions #1 (pages 1-53)

Memoir: Account of one’s own life or personal experiences.

Use the following questions and your answers to help you understand this novel and all its finer points. It is time that you take responsibility for your own education. I will not collect or stamp these discussion questions, but because the answers will help you understand the novel better, therefore getting higher scores on quizzes, unit test, essay and other activities, I trust you will complete these on your own and/or during class discussions. You should have them out on your desk every day.

Pages 1-28

A Woman on the Street:

  1. From what person point of view is the story told?
  2. Why is this point of view an essential stylistic choice for a memoir?
  3. What is the purpose of this opening chapter?
  4. Why does Jeannette go into such detail to describe her apartment?
  5. Think about a time when your parents embarrassed you.

The Desert

  1. How old is the author at the start of this section? Why is that significant?
  2. Why does Jeannette like the hospital? How is it different from her home?
  3. “I told her I didn’t care if I had some silly old scar. That was good, she said, because from the look of it I had other things to worry about.” Who said it and what is the speaker implying?
  4. How does Jeannette leave the hospital? What does this tell us about Jeannette’s father?
  5. “As he held me close, I breathed in his familiar smell of Vitalis, whiskey, and cigarette smoke. It reminded me of home.” Is this a positive statement or a negative statement? Explain your answer.
  6. Why is the last line on page 14 ironic?

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  1. If you had to pick up and leave your home right now, what 3 items would you take with you?

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  1. What leads up to Jeannette’s mom saying, “Don’t be so sentimental” (18).
  2. Where does the family sleep that night? How does Jeannette feel about it and what does this tell us about her character?

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  1. What is the “skedaddle” and why is it done?
  2. Why do Mom and Dad prefer the more desolate and isolated places?
  3. What does the prospector symbolize?
  4. Jeannette’s dad always “has a plan.” Describe what he plans to do when he finds gold.
  5. What is the “Glass Castle?”

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  1. Why does Jeannette’s mother say she married Jeannette’s father? What does this tell us about her mother? What does this tell us about her father?
  2. Who is Mary Charlene? How did she affect Jeannette’s mother? How did she affect Jeannette’s father?

Pages 28-53

  1. How does Jeannette define “living somewhere”? How do you define “living somewhere”?
  2. Why does Jeannette feel like Quixote? Why is this tragic?
  3. Jeannette ends up laughing at the end of this chapter. What does this tell us about her?

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  1. Why does the family leave Vegas?
  2. What is the figurative (analytical) meaning of Jeannette saying, “…I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire” (34).

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  1. What/whomdoes the Joshua tree symbolize? Explain
  2. “It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty” (38). Relate this quote to your answer to #27.

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  1. List 4 interesting facts about the way Jeannette’s family celebrates Christmas.
  2. What is the dramatic irony in this quote?: “Rich city folks, he’d say, lived in fancy apartments, but their air was so polluted they couldn’t even see the stars. We’d have to be out of our minds to want to trade places with any of them” (39).
  3. What does Jeannette’s dad give her for Christmas this year? What does this tell us about him?
  4. Jeannette never complains or feels sorry for herself. Why do you think this is?

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  1. What, do you think, triggered the fight where Dad almost runs over Mom?
  2. Are you more like Jeannette in school, or are you more like the other students who don’t like her?
  3. Who is Maureen?

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  1. “It seemed like we’d have to ride it out” (49). Explain the literal and symbolic meanings of this quote.

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  1. List 4-5 ways the family improvises in Battle Mountain.