The GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls: Jeanette's Playlist
This song is significant to Jeannette’s life because, Bruno says “You’re wonderful, flawless, oh you’re a sexy lady/ But you walk around here like you wanna be someone else/ I know that you don’t know it, but you’re fine, so fine/ Oh girl I’m gonna show you when you’re mine, oh mine.” These words are expressing Bruno’s love for this one girl and how he is going to express it to her. This is clearly shown on page 286 which John, her husband, calls her scar- the one she received at the age of three when cooking hot dogs- interesting and tells her that it means that she’s stronger than whatever it was that tried to hurt her; because John is basically telling Jeannette that she is beautiful the way she is and that is why she loves her. Also, in the song Bruno says “Treasure that is what you are/ Honey you’re my golden star,” which he is telling the girl that she means so much to him that she shines so bright and is worth so much more than the other girls out there. This is shown in Jeannette’s life when she meets John who is the right guy for her because, they share the same interests and she loves him for all sorts of reasons that others may find awkward. Lastly, Bruno says, “Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl you should be smiling/ a girl like you should never live so blue.” The relevance to Jeanette is shown in these two lines because, life with John makes her smile and feel loved after all she’s been through. Most importantly, John is able to help Jeannette regain her ambition to move forward because, ever since her father died she forgot the need to live her life with luxuries she never had when she was younger.
“CASTLE OF GLASS”- Linkin Park
To me the song “Castle of Glass” really captures the pain that Jeannette feels towards her family’s living choices once she becomes old enough to see that her family is not like other families so she tries to make a fresh start. In the beginning of the song, the band says “Take me down to the river bend/ Take me down to the fighting end/ Wash the poison from off my skin/ Show me how to be whole again.” In this verse the band is simply saying that any individual wants take away all the materials that poisoned their lives so they can become themselves once again. This is shown in The Glass Castle when Jeannette begins to save up her money from babysitting and her job at a jewelry store to move to New York, which would be far away from her family, their dysfunctional life, and horrible living space. In addition, the band says “Fly me up on a silver wing/ Past the black where the sirens sing/ Warm me up in a nova’s glow/ And drop me down to the dream below,” meaning that they want to seek a better life by flying high in the air far away from their messed up lives but they are instead dropped in their dreams because they’ve seen the nova saying that their life will always be the same. Take for instance, in the beginning Jeannette says, “… when she looked up, I was overcome with panic that she’d see me and call out my name, and that someone on the way to the same party would spot us together and Mom would introduce herself and my secret would be out…. I’d tried to make a home for myself here, tried to turn the place into the sort of place where the person I wanted to be would live.” This also goes for Jeannette because; she is battling a personal war within herself about being who she wants to be and who she really is.
“Shattered Dreams”- Johnny Hates Jazz
This song relates more to the false promises, hopes, and dreams that Jeannette’s father gave to the family. Such as, the glass castle, finding gold, and becoming rich which never came true. In the song the band says “So much for your promises/ They died the day you let me go/ Caught up in a web of lies/ But it was just too late to know/ I thought it was you/ Who would stand by my side/ And now you’ve given me given me/ Nothing but shattered dreams shattered dreams.” This verse simply states that everything the person said was nothing but lies and now there is nothing more that he can do so he regrets ever being with that person. This is similar to Jeannette’s life because, Rex does not fulfill the promises he made to the family, which was to build the glass castle, find gold, and make their lives easier. But being the person that Rex is he spends most of his energy and the family money on booze and cigarettes at the bar. In addition, the band says “Woke up to reality/ And found the future not so bright/ I dreamt the impossible/ That maybe things could work out right/ I thought it was you/ Who would do me no wrong/ But now….” This verse describes how he believed that she was an angel who would only do well to him and nothing else but he turned to reality and found that the girl was giving him false hopes and dreams. Also shown multiple times such as (page 213) when Dad and Jeannette are in the car, Jeannette tells Dad about how Robbie and his friends attacked her Dad answers “I’m sure he just pawed you some… I knew you could handle yourself.” This illustrates the relationship because, in the beginning of the memoir Rex says if anyone would lay a finger on his children he would kick their butts, but Rex does not follow through with his promise.
“Lotus”- Christina Aguilera
According to Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, the lotus flower symbolizes divine birth and in the album “Lotus” by Christina Aguilera she stands on a white lotus meaning the state of total mental purity and spiritual perfection, and the pacification of human nature. Similar to the life of Jeannette because, she accepts her troublesome past for what it was and begins to allow herself to move forward creating peace with her and moving forward with the present. When the song first opens, Christina says “Songbird, rebirth, unearth creature/Submerge from hurt, pain, broken pieces/ Emergency, heartbeat increases/Rise up lotus, rise, this is the beginning.” This references to the life of a lotus flower when the lotus flower shoots upwards through the murky pond water until it reaches the surface of the water, opens its petals because the rays from the sun has hit it. Likewise for Jeannette because she rises above all of the bad things that occurred to her during her childhood and makes something of her life instead of just dwelling and making things harder on herself. Take for instance, at the end of section 4 (Welch) when Jeannette boards the bus to leave for her new life in New York with Lori she looks back one last time to see what she was leaving-mainly her father- for her future where she would prosper. At the end of the song, Christina says “To the sky, I rise/ spread my wings, and fly/ I leave the past behind/ and say goodbye to the scared child inside/ I sing for freedom, and for love/ I look at my reflection/ embrace the woman I’ve become/ the unbreakable lotus in me/ I now set free.” This I shown in section 5(Thanksgiving) when Lori, Brian, and Jeannette’s mom visits for thanksgiving and about to eat Brian says “You know, it’s really not that hard to put food on the table if that’s what you decide to do”; the reader can tell that Brian is hinting towards the way their parents choose to live and holds some resentment towards them for that. In response Jeannette says tell him to let it go showing that she has forgiven her parents about her past.
"Grow up" - Paramore The song “Grow Up” by Paramore describes the transition which Jeannette makes from being a scared little girl into a beautiful young lady who has to make something of her life leaving everything that happened in the past behind her. In the beginning of the song Haley sings “I told ‘em all to stick it/ I left town with a dime to my name/ Said I’m done with all of my fake friends/ … a light that won’t go out/ Been burning since the day I was born/ so u cry just a little then I’ll dry my eyes/ Cause I’m not a little girl anymore.” This verse reminds me of the moment when Jeannette steps foot onto New York “soil” which is better than what she imagined. When she arrives she barely has any money to start in New York (reason why she moves in with Lori) but it’s fine with her because she’s finished with her life in Welch since it was something she never wanted. This verse can also relate to Jeannette throughout the entire memoir because she always picks herself up after a “dustup”. Also, Haley says “We get along for the most part/ Me in reality, to lighten the dark/ We live alone/ In two different worlds/ Me in a fantasy/ And you in your memories.” This line represents the difference between life for Jeannette and life for her father. I say this because while in New York she tries to make her life better than what it was so that way she can make others believe that she came from a normal family.
“Far Away”- Marsha Ambrosius
This song relates to the feelings that Jeannette begins to have when Rex dies from a heart attack. In the song, Marsha sings “Ooh tear stains on my pillow/ Tryna forget ya/ Don’t know what I’m gonna do/ … I can’t feel this way again/… So hurt from what you’ve done/ More than enough reasons for me to move on.” This line reminds me of the point in the book when after Rex died, she loses her ambition to move forward since she always wished she was somewhere else rather than where she was at the moment. Soon her need to be on the move faded away and she left the house, more so the life she always wanted on Park Avenue with her husband, Eric, for a life that reminded her about the first time she came to New York. Jeannette has many reasons that should make her want to move on and forget about her father due to the pain that he has caused in her life, but she loves him so much that she can’t let him go. Also, in the song Marsha says “And every minute you’re gone/ I’m missing you so/ I can’t believe that you’re far away/ Can’t get you out of my mind/… Can’t believe that you’re gone.” This line can express the sense that I received when reading because, it seems as though Jeannette sort of regrets not being with her dad; as if leaving her father behind in Welch was not the best thing to do.
“For the Love of A Daughter”- Demi Lovato
This song relates to the relationship between Jeannette and Rex and the effects of him being alcoholic. Demi Lovato says “Your selfish hands always expecting more/ Am I your child or just a charity award? / …I try so hard to fight it but it’s hopeless/ Hopeless, you’re hopeless/ Oh, father, please, father/ I’d love to leave you alone/ But I can’t let you go/ Oh, father, please, father/ Put the bottle down/ For the love of a daughter/ … Oh, I can be manipulated only so many times/ before even “I love you”/ Starts to sound like a lie.” This reminds me of the time when Rose Mary left for Charleston to renew her teaching certificate and left Jeannette in charge and gave her $200 to pay the bills and buy food for 2 months. During this time Rex took advantage of Jeannette by asking her for money to buy him some cigarettes and alcohol which he already knew that she was going to give it to him because, she loves him so much. He says that he will pay her back but he doesn’t which Jeannette is unable to feed her siblings and must work. In the song Demi says “Don’t you remember I’m your baby girl? / How could you push me out of your world? / Lied to your flesh and your blood.” This line makes references too many events in Jeannette’s life such as when Rex would leave the house for many days and never come back until he felt like it so he could get liquored up at the bar. Also, the time when she was younger and he told her that he would stop drinking but instead he continues to drink.
- written by Ivy Williams
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