Subject: Jeanette Walls wrote this book about her childhood and how her family moved from place to place every time trouble arose. She goes as far back as her memories from the age of three, where she was a bright young girl with much to show for it. Her parents believed in letting their kids do whatever they wanted without rules or discipline and learning from their mistakes, such as teaching them to swim with a sink or swim system to not relying on the hospital every time they get hurt. These kids wanted nothing more than to make their parents proud and be able to fend for themselves. By their adult years, all of these children turn out to be successful people with homes of their own. However, Rex Walls and Rose Mary stay homeless by choice. Because it is the only thing they know and they love it. Eventually though, they get an apartment of their own and turn their lives around.
Occasion: By the time Jeanette was four years old, she had counted at least eleven places she had lived for more than a week before she lost count. Seeing as they left their original trailer park home at the age of three, she had already been all over the country. This story follows her throughout her teen years and jumps into her collegiate life. Jeanette and her family never stayed in one place for too long. Something bad always happened such as the police chasing them around, to gambling mishaps, to court summons. Whenever authority became involved, it was time to do the "Skedaddle"and find a new home.
Audience: This book is for more of an adult group. There are a lot of vulgar words used that would not be appropriate for anyone under the age of fifteen at the least. It is a fantastic book and the reader needs to get the full effect of the book without getting side-tracked or offended by all the swearing and rough situations that are some times described. The language is the main reason it puts it over the top into more of an adult category.
Purpose: Jeanette Walls kept this story quiet for years and she finally got enough courage to get it out there and tell her story. She displays a great amount of love and compassion for her parents even though she grew up with next to nothing. Always moving and always facing new obstacles. Jeanette tells a fascinating story of a difficult childhood and against all odds becoming a successful woman. She brings hope that even in the worst circumstances, you can be triumphant and battle anything and still become a person with everything you could've wished for.
Style: Walls keeps a very calm theme throughout her story. She likes to use a lot of imagery and describe the places she's in and she makes me feel as if i was there and I can imagine the room that she is in. She is very educated and she was very educated as a child with her extensive vocabulary, that of children many years older than her.
Tone: The author expresses an immense amount of gratuity and adoration for her family. Her parents didn't always care for her the best they could, but Jeanette wouldn't wish for any other parents. She always believed in her father no matter what. "I told him that I would never lose faith in him. And I promised myself I never would." (Walls 79) Jeanette believed her father was doing every thing he could and that one day he was going to make a fortune with all of his weird inventions. She believed in him when the rest of her family doubted him.
No comments:
Post a Comment