"Where are we going, Dad?" I asked. "Wherever we end up," he said. (sentence from The Glass Castle)
So far, this is my favorite line in the book. It has this vague, but still authentic sensation you get where you read it. The way it is written, you like how the parents have this free attitude. But so far in the book, I don't like the parents. They seem like they don't have a good understanding of what is important and what's not. Almost as if they are too selfish but still know they need to take care of their kids. Having an attitude or just wanting to travel around and experience something new, I get it. And it is good they want different experiences in their life, but they are limiting their kids experiences. The parents are not thinking a lot of what they are doing, through.
I also like the sentence because it is very important. It is showing the family has left their home, that they don't have a plan, and that the family wants to stay together. They want to travel around and be "adventurous" together. Also, I feel like the father just doesn't want to tell the kids what they are really doing, because it's to complicated for them. But then they are putting the kids in danger. At least the kids are with their family, but saying it is an adventure when all they are doing is running is not smart.
Therefor, this line tells you a lot about what has happened and what may happen next. This line even gives you a short summary of how the father is towards his daughter. He wants to protect her by making sure the words she hears are kind or easy to understand. His wording of the sentence provides all of that. It even gives a chance for Jeannette (daughter) to imagine where they are going. How things are going to be for them now. That is what I think makes this line stand out.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree, if my family was putting me in danger im pretty sure i would want to know about it. I would like to take things into my own hands, instead of leaving my life in the hands of someone who lied to me. Depending on how old the kids are, they should definitely know.
ReplyDeleteI agree, if my family was putting me in danger im pretty sure i would want to know about it. I would like to take things into my own hands, instead of leaving my life in the hands of someone who lied to me. Depending on how old the kids are, they should definitely know.
ReplyDeleteThe father seems like he is either hiding something, like you said, or he doesn't much care about where he ends up. That doesn't seem like a good quality for any parent, because some places they might end up in could be dangerous. Like a carefree spirit, I guess. The kid has a right to know where they are going or at least to know whether they have any sort of plan for the "wherever we end up". Maybe they should have given the kid to another caretaker like a grandparent or a friend instead of dragging them along on a "wherever" journey.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about Jeanette's parents not having a good sense of what is important and what is not. It seems as if both of her parents make actions without caring about the consequences. They have spent money frivolously on things such as art supplies and fancy meals when they can't even afford basic foods most of the time. Despite this being the case, I think that they are trying their best. Their best just may not be what the rest of society deems good enough. Jeanette's parents may run from responsibility and think they are living some fantasy, but it is clear that they care about their children a lot and I believe that they think they are doing the right thing.
ReplyDelete