The Glass Castle Post #3: Voices

     The personality of Jeanette's writing is child-like and somewhat innocent at first. Throughout the story, the reader can see her growing up. In the beginning of the book, Jeanette is only a child and she just allows and accepts what her parents tell her. I think that her use of dialogue helps to show that personality. "A few days later, when I had been at the hospital for about six weeks, Dad appeared alone in the doorway of my room. He told me we were going to check out, Rex Walls-style. 'Are you sure this is okay?' I asked. 'You just trust your old man,' Dad said." Here, Jeanette is only two years old. She has no other choice but to follow her dad, even if she doesn't want to. However, it doesn't seem as if she doesn't want to. There was no indication of resentment that her parents had taken her out of the hospital, despite previously describing how nice the hospital was and how good the nurses were to her. This is because Jeanette was a child. To show her innocence, she asks about what is going on in the dialogue, but after being reassured that it is okay by her father, she just goes on with it. 
     As Jeanette grows up, the personality of her writing develops with her, both becoming more mature. Again, dialogue helps to express this maturity. “'Mom, you have to leave Dad,' I said. She stopped doing her toe touches. 'I can’t believe you would say that,' she said. 'I can’t believe that you, of all people, would turn on your father.' I was Dad’s last defender, she continued, the only one who pretended to believe all his excuses and tales, and to have faith in his plans for the future. 'He loves you so much,' Mom said. 'How can you do this to him?' 'I don’t blame Dad,' I said. And I didn’t. But Dad seemed hell-bent on destroying himself, and I was afraid he was going to pull us all down with him. 'We’ve got to get away.'" There is a more serious tone to the reading in the second half of the book, as she realizes that both of her parents need help. In this quote, the dialogue expresses that leaving her dad is the right thing to do, even if it isn't his fault. This shows a lot of maturity, not blaming his father despite all of the things he had done to her and her family. 
     Although most of the innocence is lost in the writing, there is still a bit of a child in the personality of the writing, the child who believed in her father. This can be seen in the dialogue between Jeanette and her father when he asked her for money. "'I need money to make money. I'll pay you back.' He looked at  me, defying me to disbelieve him. 'I've got bills piling up,' I said. I heard my voice growing shill, but I could't control it. 'I've got kids to feed.' 'Don't you worry about food and bills,' Dad said. 'That's for me to worry about. Okay?' I put my hands in my pocket. I didn't know if I was reaching for my money or trying to protect it. 'Have I ever let you down?' Dad asked... I gave him the twenty dollars." Jeanette has a soft spot for her father that she probably can never let go of. She still believes that he will do some good, even though she knows he will almost certainly not. Her own belief carries on into the writing and it shows hope.
     Since my entire life has been childhood up to this point, I think that I can use a personality and tone similar to the beginning of "The Glass Castle" as I write my own memoir; child-like and innocent. I will most likely choose to write my memoir about events that happened when I was younger, so that innocence will be very prominent. I hope to use both indirect and direct dialogue to give my writing a very distinct voice. In bad or sad events, I hope to be able to capture the innocence of the writing through conversations with others and possibly with figurative language. Even if I am describing more recent events, I think that dialogue concerning misunderstandings or confusion over something will show that I am still a child. I think that we can all use dialogue to show an innocent tone for our memoirs, considering we are all kids. It could really add to the writing and make the reader sympathize with us.