Handout with Classroom Activities

The Glass Castle

by Jeannette Walls

1. Jeannette Walls structures her memoir by first describing an encounter she has as an adult,
watching her mother scavenge through the trash. Explain why you think Walls decided to
introduce the memoir this way.
2. The father (Rex Walls) addresses Jeannette as “Mountain Goat.” Explain the significance of
this nickname.
3. Walls precedes her story with the following lines from “Poem on His Birthday,” by Dylan
Thomas:
Dark is a way and light is a place,
Heaven that never was
Nor will be ever always true
Analyse the excerpt and how it embodies an idea or theme from The Glass Castle.
4. Both Mom and Dad are clearly round characters with various faults and redeeming
qualities; however, are they static or dynamic? Does either of them change by the end of the
novel? Support your assertion with details from the text.
5. On Christmas Eve in Part II, Dad lets each child choose a star as a gift. How does this act
reflect the Walls parents’ parenting style?
6. Explain how nonconformity plays a significant role in the fate of the Walls family. Describe
the parents’ methods for raising children. Give examples. Contrast their unconventional
views with traditional methods for raising children.
7. Describe how Jeannette’s attitude towards her parents changes as the memoir progresses.
8. Explain how the father teaches Jeannette to lose her fear of demons.
9. Characterise Jeannette Walls. What do you think of her?
10. What is the metaphor behind the glass castle? What does the glass castle symbolise for
Jeannette?
11. In what way or ways does the book change the way you view your own life? Has the book
changed you in any other way?