1.
What role does choice play for Walls parents? Do they “choose” to live in poverty? What
societal problems lead to their poverty? Discuss at least three ways that
the lived realities of ‘poverty’ in this book are more complex than they
may seem at first.
2.
Critics say that memoirs are not always reliable because
they depend on memories that may not be complete. Walls was young when most of this story
took place. Does that cast any doubt
onto the accuracy of her memory and the legitimacy of her story? How might
her story differ if it was told from an outside point of view? What kinds
of things are we not hearing?
3.
Walls tells lots of memorable stories. What were some of your favorites and why?
4.
This book is partly about the American Dream: the
notion that any person can attain wealth, happiness and prosperity as long
as they are willing to work hard for it. How does this book challenge
and/or complicate the concept of the American Dream?
5.
Walls often discusses her clothing and the way her
looks were used as a marker of her poverty - for example, the coat that is
missing buttons in Welch marks her out as a victim of bullying. How does
Walls use clothing and other material markers to tell the reader about her
character? How does Walls attempt to change the way she is viewed by others
(think, for example, of her attempt to paint the Welch house yellow)? How
does her characterization shift throughout the book?
6.
What is the difference between intelligence and
education? Is it possible to be intelligent without education? What does
‘going to school’ signify for Jeannette and her family?
7.
Explain the metaphor of the glass castle. What is the significance of Walls
declaring that she did not believe her father ever built it as she left for
college?
8.
What do you think of Walls’ decisions to keep quiet
in her college class when asked about the plight of homeless people and/or
to not say hello to her mother when she was on her way to the party?
9.
Walls never cuts ties with her parents
completely. What do you think of her
decision to maintain a relationship with her parents?
10.
How does Walls characterize race relations in this
text? How do her parents interact with different races? How does Walls react
to the use of strong racial language? How does that make you react as a
reader? Why would Walls include strong racial language? What point is she
making here?
11.
How do the media present homelessness? What other
representations are possible? Which stereotypes, if any, are perpetuated in
this book? Which stereotypes, if any, are dispelled?
12.
Jeanette’s mother claimed that life with her father
“was never boring.” What are some of
the life lessons that the Jeanette Walls learned growing up in her
unconventional home?
13.
What are some similarities you see between Jeanette
Walls’ upbringing and yours? What
are some differences?
14.
Walls’ certainly beat the odds and became a
successful writer despite her humble beginnings. Do you think she is an exception to the
rule? Why or why not? What types of characteristics did she
inherit from her parents that contributed to her success?
15.
The family car is an important symbol to the family.
It is named and loved at first and represents a kind of home for the Walls
family. When they are without a car, they are trapped in the town of Welch. How does the
car represent different kinds of movement? How does the car relate to a
sense of American-ness?
16.
What impact has the current economic situation had on
homelessness rates? What obligation,
if any, does a community have to address homelessness?
17.
If you were to narrate your own life, what stories
would you tell? How would you characterize the people in your life?
18. What
questions would you like to ask Jeanette Walls when she visits campus in
September?