The good in life comes with the bad. In Walls' book, The Glass Castle, the Walls family appears to be going through much more difficulty. Rosemary often tries to cheer up by saying that "life is a drama, full of tragedy and comedy." You should learn to appreciate comedy episodes a little more. Rex and Rosemary display incredible, childlike optimism, blocking their path to a better life. This stupidly inspiring mindset is reiterated throughout the memoir as their way of parenting. Children, despite their parents' mindset, are capable of thriving in the adult world from an early age. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get an original essay During their short childhood, the Walls children experience poverty, abuse, hunger, and many uncomfortable living conditions. Despite all these difficulties, Rex and Rosemary teach them that everything will be fine; they have to see the bright side of things. The glass castle perfectly symbolizes this optimism. Rex often presents the plans of the castle to his children, demonstrating his childish imagination. The children look at Rex as if he were a genius among mere men. Young children can be easily influenced, especially by their own parents. At this stage of life, children represent almost exact copies of Rex and his opinions and points of view. Not knowing any better, Jeanette gives her father full support, both emotionally and financially. When Rex needs money to buy alcohol, the mountain goat gives in to his desires and entrusts him with the food budget. Even when she is angry and disappointed by his behavior, like when he took the piggy bank, her rage quickly subsides; When did Rex ever let him down? Children also sacrifice a normal life of friends and a stable home to pursue their parents' dreams. Of course, they don't have much say in the matter, but nevertheless, family dysfunction deeply affects children. They never complain because Rex raised them to accept difficulties. Later in life, the children realize that Rex has lied, deceived and cheated on them. As Jeanette and Lori become young adults, the childish optimism they once had transforms, the result of endless disappointment, into a realistic view of poverty and hardship. By the time Jeanette enters Welch High School (and perhaps earlier), she recognizes that the Glass Castle is an elaborate lie on her father's part in order to obtain alcohol. The “research money” Walls invested only went toward gambling and drinking. It becomes difficult to focus on the positive when a father drags his family into poverty. Unemployed and with a hungry household, Rex and Rosemary choose, rather than solving the problem, to focus on the benefits of living in a small cabin. Unlike someone seeking welfare, Rosemary prides herself on her independence. She prefers to suffer alone rather than succeed with the help of others, especially the government. Lori and Jeanette find jobs, make budget plans, and conserve their resources, all to no avail because of their parents' inability to mature. Rosemary's five-week journey expresses the maturity of children. Rex takes the food budget, carefully planned by Jeanette, and spends it on alcohol and games. Jeanette and Lori have, in many ways, better parenting skills than Rex and Rosemary ever had. The greatest symbol of this maturity is the escape fund, created.