New York

New York is the land of dreams for Jeannette's family and the kids realized that if they were ever going to get out of welsh, it would have to be up to them. And with hard work, they all eventually get there. Jeanette, her older sister, and her brother all thrive. They work hard and build lives for themselves. This reminds me of the cliche saying "You can do anything you put your mind to." Jeanette did it. She worked her way up a newspaper, found a man, found happiness. You really can accomplish great things if you work hard.
This book was amazing. It is so hard to believe that it is true, it was a fascinating story. Anyone would enjoy this book and everyone should read it.

The Watch

When Jeannette is working at Becker's Jewel Box, the owner, Mr. Becker, doesn't trust Jeannette. He makes a show of checking the diamonds when he returns from his lunch. She finds out that she should get paid on commission from a customer and decides that she deserves to steal something. She picks a watch with changeable wristbands. She takes it without problem and brings it home to hide it. She then begins to worry and knows she can never wear it. She brings it back.
I wanted for her to have it so bad. Even though it was stealing. She deserved it and she should have been getting paid more. But she did the right thing.
I wish she would have kept it.

Used

Jeannette was the only one who still believed in her father. She tried to buy his stories of the mafia and gestapo, she was his moutian goat. But as she got older she began to see through him and his made up lies. At one point she has to put her foot down.. now he is just using her.

In the car, Dad took out the money he'd won and counted off forty dollars, which he passed to me.
"We make a good team."
I felt like throwing the money at him, but us kids needed the money, so i put the bills in my purse. We hadn't scammed Robbie, but we'd worked him in a way that felt downright sleazy, and I'd ended up in a tight spot. If Robbie had been set up by Dad, so had I.
"You upset about something, Mountain Goat?"
For a moment I considered not telling Dad. I was afraid there'd be bloodshed, since he was always going on about how he'd kill anyone who laid a finger on me. Then i decided I wanted to see the guy pummeled. "Dad that creep attacked me when we were upstairs."
"I'm sure he just pawed you some," Dad said as we pulled out of the parking lot. "I knew you could handle yourself."

Ouch.

The End

I really like the ending of The Glass Castle. I like how at the end, even though their life was difficult and stressful, everything seems like it will be ok. Her dad dies, but in the end everyone is together, except for Maureen. Brian changed a dump into a beautiful house, and Jeannette has a wonderful husband and house. Even Maureen, at the end, seems like she will be ok, she is finally talking about coming back for a visit.

Parents

"No one expected you to amount to much," she told me. "Lori was the smart one, Maureen the pretty one, and Brian the brave one. You never had much going for you except that you always worked hard."
I wonder what it would be like to have parents who thought you would never be anything. My parents always said that I could do anything I want but if they didn't I don't know who would believe in me when I don't.

Laughing

I love laughing. When I am with my friends we have many moments like these:

"Dad started laughing. It was a silent laugh that made his shoulders shake, and the more he laughed he funnier it seemed to him, which made him laugh even harder. I had to start laughing, too, and soon we were both hysterical, lying on our backs, tears ruing down our cheeks, slapping our feet on the porch floor. We'd get too winded to laugh any further, our sides cramping with stitches, and we'd think our fit was over, but then one of us would start chuckling, and that would get the other going ,and again we'd both end up shrieking like hyenas."

As witnessed in English class this year and last year, with one simple thought I can be in tears. The process is much like what happens with Jeannette and her dad. I laugh but keep it contained, then I chuckle just a little bit and then my friend (usually inside my head) will start laughing more. Then I start crying and I'm not able to breathe. It is one of the funniest experiences that I have, I find it quite entertaining.

"Art Career"

Thier mother always has this dream of her "art career". Everywhere they go she tries to make it work. All she seems to do is clutter up their house. I don't think this is all bad... her life isn't great but she has this dream. And she never gives up on it. Sometimes it seems like it is all she has.

Suddenly, Mom grinned broadly. "I'll bet there aren't any other artists living in Welsh," she said. "I won't have any competition. My career could really take off here."