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Dumpster Diving
While sitting in a taxi in New York, Jeannette sees her mother looking through the garbage. Jeannette Walls then begins thinking of childhood memories and how she came to be. This scene sets up the memoir for future events. -
Period: to
The Glass Castle
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Phoenix
While living in Phoenix, three year old Jeanette was cooking hot dogs alone on the stove and was severly burnt. She did go to the hospital, but since her family was unable to pay the bills, her father grabbed her and left illegally. Ever since the accident, Jeannette finds an interest in fire. -
The Taveling Begins
The Walls family were very tight on money. The father, Rex would often wake the kids in the middle of the night and tell them to pack their things and that they must relocate. He always told the children they were running from the FBI, but this was just a more enterianing way of saying that they need to run from the bill collectors. We also learn that the parents have a very unique parenting style. -
The Invention
Jeanette's father was building something called the “prospector”. Once this inventions was finshed, it would be used to find gold and make the family rich. Once the family had money, teh father would begin to work on 'The Glass Castle'. He alreday had the blueprints all made up, and often let the children help design their rooms. -
Car Accident
Jeannette slides out of th ecar while driving to Las Vagas. Her father, who was driving, made a sharp turn and she accidently fell through the door. Her parenst didn't even realize it had happened. She was alone in the desert, waiting and hoping they would come back for her. -
Las Vegas
The family packed up and moved to LA. They stayed in hotel while the father gambled each night. This did bring home some extra cash, but when they found out he was cheating. They packed up and moved to another hotel, but this one burnt down while Jeanette was playing with matches. -
Christmas
After Maureen was born, Rex lost his job so there was no money for gifts. The parents had told the children that Santa didn't exist and that other kids have been brainwashed and diceived. To make it up to them, Rex took each child outside one by one and told them to pick a star to call their own. -
Blythe
The children alwasy had trouble fitting in and geting along with other kids, Jeanette had gotten into a few fights with the girls at her new school. Brian came and helped her beat them. As the kids got older, they became more violent and often found themselves in more fights with the neighbourhood children and the parents. -
Battle Mountain
The family moves into a former depot station that has no furnature. The children slept in refrigerator boxes and they made chairs out of scraps and things tey found in garbages.Rex gets a job at a Barite Mine, and doesn't drink as heavily. Overall, things are getting a little better for the Walls family. -
Billy Deel
Jeanette met a boy named Billy Deel. She did not like him, but Rose Mary said she had to be nice. Billy liked Jeanette and always told everyone that they were dating, he had even given her a ring that was once his mother's. One day, they were playing hide and go seek with the neighbourhood kids, but while they were hiding in a tunnel togther, Billy got to "handsy" , so she pushed him away. Later that night, he came into the house with a BB gun, no one was hurt, but that relationship was over. -
The Teacher
Rex had lost his job at the mines, leaving the family starving. The children had to scrummage through the garbage cans at school just to find a decent meal. With the dad out of work, Rose Mary decided to take matters into her own hands and get a teaching position at the children's school. Since she wasn't big on disipline, she was often on the brink of getting fired. She had to pretend to displine Lori,so it looked like her was a good tecaher infront of the principal. -
Phoenix
The grandmother passed away. Niether of the parents even bothreed to tell the children, even though they loved going to grandma's. She was pretty wealthy and left a lot of her belongings to Rose Mary; including a house and money. The family moved to Phoenix and lived in the inherited house.Things were going good, Rex got a job, Lori gets glasses, and the children got bicycles. -
The Birthday Wish
Jeannette turned ten. Their parents often forgot their birthdays, but they thought this was a special one. Rex asked her what she wanted, She replied with "I want you to stop drinking." He did not know how to respond to this so they got into an argument. Later on he got into a heated arguemnt with the mother, almost killing eachother, but as always they made up and moved on. -
The Scedattle to Welch
Yet again, Rex lost another job, so it was time to move on. They sold the property that Rose had inherited and they moved to Rex's parent's house. The grandmother, Erma, was a very stern old woman. One day she was acting inapropriate with Brian witch caused another huge aruguement within the family. The kids had to enrol into a special needs class. -
Kicked out
The family got kicked out of Erma's house, forcing them to relocate. All they could afford was a small house with a leaky roof, and no indoor pumbing. Rex says this will be the perfect place to create "the glass castle". Unfortinatly that doesnt get done, the children are starving,and Rex leaves for days at a time. Jeannette goes looking for him at all the local bars. Soon after, Erma died and all the kids were happy which made Rex furious. -
The Stolen Money
Lori was getting older and about to graduate highshool, by this time, she decided it was time to get out of this place. She saved up some money and decided to relocate to New York. Jeannette decide to do the same. She got a job at a jewlarry store.Together they saved up alot of money, but one day they found the piggy bank broken and all the money gone. They blamed the father. -
New York
After Lori moved to New York, Jeannette soon followed. They each had bought an apartment and found jobs quickly. Jeannette went to collage and got a job with the local newspaper. Brian and Maureen then came. The parents soon followed, but after ruining things when living with Lori, Lori eventually kicked them out. Rex and Rose Mary then became squatters in New York City for years until they found a rundown apartment to call home. -
Jail
Maureen was living with the parents, but when they told her she was old enough to get a job and move out, Maureen stabbed the mother. Maureen was arrested and sent to court. Bail was denied and she was sent away. She went to an upstate hospital and when she was released, she immediately bought a ticket and went to California. -
Rex's Disease and Death
Jeannette got a call from Rex saying he had to see her. He told her he had gotten a rare, uncurbale disease from some drug dealers. He only had a few weeks left. They sat and joked about old times and their lives while groiwng up. Rex then had a heart attack. Lori , Jeannette and the mother were all standing by his bed at the hospital. They held hands and unplugged the machines that were keeping him alive. Rex then came to his death. -
Thanksgiving
Jeannette had left Eric after her father's death, and remarried to a man named John. Jeannette and John held Thanksgiving dinner at their house. They invited the family, includig Brian's 8 year old daughter, Veronica. They found themselves talking baout Rex and all the crazy meories tfrom their childhood. They gave a toast to Rex, "Life with your father was never boring". -
Some Glass Castle
The Glass Castle was never built, but the memory will always remain with the Walls family.
