The Glass Castle Summer Reading Assignment

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“Children need people in order to become human . . . It is primarily through observing, playing, and working with others older and younger than himself that a child discovers both what he can do and who he can become—that he develops both his ability and his identity . . . Hence to relegate children to a world of their own is to deprive them of their humanity, and ourselves as well”. Urie Bronfenbrenner “… Mom and dad did most of our teachings… He showed us how to aim and fire his pistol, how to shoot Mom’s bow and arrows, and how to throw a knife by the blade so that it landed in the middle of a target with a satisfying thwock. By the time I was four, I was pretty good with dads pistol… Dad said my sharpshooting would come in handy one day if the feds ever surrounded us.” Page 21 In the story The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls just explained one of the many attributes her father has taught her in life. Ever since she can remember, Jeanette never had a stable home and was forced to live in very harsh surroundings. This quote just explainied how to use weapons in self-defense; as her and her siblings, Lori and Brian, could not have been older than the age of nine. Other children at that age would not be allowed to even touch a knife while they were eating their dinner, as the children in Jeanette’s family were being taught how to use it as a weapon. They were also being taught how to use a real gun while other children, even some teenagers, have never been exposed to a real gun in their entire lives. By Jeanette living with these kinds of surroundings, she became accustomed to this lifestyle. Throughout her childhood, if she ever was to be in a life-threatening situation, she knew she would be capable of using what she had learned to defend her. She became the type of person to toughen up when she’s hurt; and her fortitude will always be part of who she is.

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