Rose Mary Walls Character Analysis: A Complex and Contradictory Figure

The book "The Glass Castle" is a powerful story of resilience and redemption while also providing a glimpse into the dynamics of a flawed yet vibrant family. Jeannette's father was intelligent and engaging when sober, teaching his children about physics, geology, and living life to the fullest. Unfortunately, his behavior would become deceitful and destructive when he drank. Meanwhile, Jeannette's mother was a free-spirited person who disliked the responsibilities of caring for a family and domestic life.

The Walls children learned how to take care of themselves and each other's basic needs, such as food, clothing, and safety, and eventually made their way to New York. Meanwhile, their parents chose to follow them and live on the streets. The Glass Castle is a captivating memoir that showcases the deep love of a unique yet devoted family. The book has been adapted into a major motion picture by Lionsgate, featuring acclaimed actors such as Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.

This blog will discuss in detail the character of Rose Mary Wall, the 'mom' in the story. Although you already know about the story, it is still safe that we start with a review of the story and then move on to the character analysis. This will help you understand the context better.

An Overview of “The Glass Castle”

Jeannette Walls' book, The Glass Castle, portrays the challenges of growing up with negligent parents and limited finances. Jeannette learns to survive on her own in a poverty-stricken community, demonstrating the importance of perseverance and hard work through her personal experiences.

Jeannette learns at a young age that giving up because others say it is pointless is unacceptable. She is resolved to leave her life of extreme poverty and declares, "I'll take the next bus out of here, and if it stops running, I'll hitchhike or even walk" (Walls 238).

Jeannette left Welch to start a new life in New York, free from her parents. She realized that her parents were not supportive of her goals, and in order to achieve them, she had to cut ties with them. Her mother was upset about this decision, but Jeannette believed it was necessary for her own well-being. Walls argues that it was unfair for her mother to be angry with her for pursuing her dreams.

Rose Mary's mother disapproves of her daughter's success and is against the idea of her being as affluent as she is. Jeannette is being held accountable for Rose Mary's costly decisions, which she now regrets. The family's dysfunction stems from Rose Mary's reluctance to take on the responsibility of raising a family.

Jeannette is a perfect example of how perseverance can lead to success. As per Rose Mary, Jeannette did not have many advantages except for her strong work ethic. Despite her parents' negative influence, Jeannette had the self-confidence to work hard and not follow in their reckless footsteps. She was determined not to be seen as a failure like her parents.

Jeannette took a different approach than her parents, which ultimately led to her success. She is determined to prevent her family from being excluded from the community, even for minor things. In her own words, Jeannette explains that she knew the yellow paint could remain on the porch unless she painted the walls herself.

Jeannette faces difficulty in being accepted by the community of Welch due to her family's limited resources, which makes her feel disconnected. She goes to great lengths to fit in, including altering her home's appearance. As the book progresses, she fabricates her parents' true identities to reconstruct herself, feeling embarrassed about her family's past.

There are numerous things to take into account if you want to succeed. When Jeannette takes a watch from the office and immediately feels bad about it, she acts honorably and returns the item. This shows that she has a good heart and strives to carry out all of her goals honestly. Walls describes strategies for achievement with honesty and positivity.

Before jumping on to the character analysis, there is something else that you should know. This will make the character analysis more relatable for you. View Examples

Major Themes of “The Glass Castle”

Three themes in "The Glass Castle" can be distinguished. The same is discussed below –

1. Strength after Hardship

Mom and Dad assert throughout the biography that their non-involved parenting approach will benefit their kids in the long run since difficulty and adversity develop strength of character and fortitude. The children's struggle for survival undoubtedly benefits them later in life, even though nothing can excuse their parents' negligence, which makes it frustratingly impossible to completely discount Mom and Dad's claim. When Dad repeatedly submerges Jeannette in the hot pot until she learns to swim, we witness the application of this principle.

Jeannette initially felt fearful and angry about the swimming lessons, but her dad believed that the long-term benefit of learning to swim outweighed the temporary discomfort. Ultimately, the difficulties they faced growing up helped Jeannette and Lori develop the skills they needed to thrive and succeed in New York City.

2. Compassion and Boundaries

Mom believes that in order to be compassionate towards someone who has experienced trauma, you must permit them to vent their rage on you without repercussion. In terms of her marriage, Mom accepts the famine, instability, physical danger, and poverty that Dad causes the family as part of her compassionate acceptance of his alcoholism.

When Mom tells Jeannette that Billy comes from a shattered household and deserves kindness, she encourages similar behavior. As a result of Jeannette's attempt to be compassionate by accepting Billy's attention, he shoots a BB pistol at her and her siblings. When Jeannette refuses to pardon Erma for her racist remarks and abuse, she starts to reject this indoctrination. Jeannette doesn't follow Mom's suggestion to put up with Uncle Stanley's assaults only because he's lonely when he moles her; instead, she puts her safety first and stays away from him.

At the conclusion of the book, Jeannette has learned how to empathize with her parents without putting herself in harm's way. Despite this, she remains in contact with them but chooses not to live with them in order to safeguard herself while accepting them for who they are.

3. Abuse

Jeannette is researching how violent marriages can lead to a cycle of abuse across generations. As an example, Mom observes that many of the menacing characters they encounter, such as Billy Deel, come from dysfunctional families and harsh environments. This suggests that their difficult upbringing contributed to their aggressive behavior.

Particularly in Dad's family, it is clear how abuse is passed down through the generations. Erma's continual drinking raises the possibility that alcoholism runs throughout the family. The kids conclude that Erma probably sexually assaulted Dad because Dad sides with Erma when she moles Brian. Uncle Stanley exhibits sexually predatory behavior as well, indicating the possibility that he is a victim as well. However, Mom discloses that Erma was not the only torture victim. Erma was orphaned as a young child and raised by a succession of cruel aunts and uncles for the remainder of her youth. She then turned her resentment on her own kids.

The terrible cycle of abusers producing more abusers exemplifies the cyclical nature of abuse. We are given hope that the pattern can be halted when Jeannette and Lori defend Brian from Erma and refuse to deny what happened.

A Detailed Analysis of Rose Mary Walls

Rose is the daughter of Grandma Smith from Phoenix. Although she had always dreamt of becoming an artist, her mother convinced her to pursue a teaching degree. Even though she spends a lot of time on her artistic projects, they do not generate enough income to support her family. Rose values her independence and cherishes her freedom.

She held the opinion that if you jump about a child too much while they are unhappy, they will become even more impulsive because the extra attention will help to reward their bad behavior.

While she is proud of her family, Rose tends to put her own needs above theirs. She believes that parents worry too much about their children and that some of the hardships she endured as a child were beneficial. She even ignored her children's cries, believing that suffering can strengthen the body and soul's immune systems.

At times, Mom doesn't seem to prioritize her kids and neglects to ensure they eat enough.

Rose wasn't fond of spending hours cooking food that would spoil quickly. Instead, she preferred to use her time to create lasting memories. However, she did make a large fish casserole with rice and beans once a week. The kids ate this meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the week, adding extra pepper when needed.

Jeannette's mother is philosophical and ponders the importance of her actions. However, as Jeannette grows up, it becomes apparent that she often uses philosophy as an excuse to avoid taking responsibility for her selfish behavior. Her unwavering focus on showing compassion is the most obvious example of this. Although Mom believes that the children should be merciful to people who intentionally harm them, such as Billy Deel or Erma, this philosophy may seem admirable but also potentially hazardous.

But as soon as Jeannette realizes that Mom really doesn't want to annoy Erma and has to look for a new place, we understand that Mom's plea for sympathy is a strategy she uses to stay out of confrontation and conflict. She justifies her decision to prioritize her comfort and safety over those of her children in this way by citing her religious convictions. Mom suffers from Dad's physical and psychological abuse, which she also tries to cover up with philosophy. Mom describes her decision to remain with Dad as being an "excitement addict," using the word addiction purposefully to allude to Dad's alcoholism. Mom's use of the wording in this sentence suggests that she is powerless to alter or end her connection with Dad because the family has given up attempting to get him sober.