Linden High School Big Read Summer Reading Packet
12th Grade Language Arts
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Rationale: Summer reading is an integral part of a student’s continuity of education. It functions as a
foundation for the next school year, and offers students an opportunity to explore and expand
their appreciation of literature during the summer.
All students are required to read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and complete the following
activities and questions. All answers must be HAND WRITTEN.
The 12th grade will be focusing on THEME
THEME - The insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work. Themes are
rarely stated directly. Most often, a reader has to infer the theme of a work after considerable
thought. Theme is different from subject. A story’s subject might be stated as growing up, love,
heroism, or fear. The theme is the statement the writer wants to make about the subject: “For
most young people, growing up is a process that involves the pain of achieving self-knowledge.”
Theme must be stated in at least one phrase or sentence; most themes are complex enough to
require several sentences, or even an essay.
LA.11-12.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
LA.11-12.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2 - Determine two or more themes or central ideas of
a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and
build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Key Themes in The Glass Castle
Required for ALL Levels
1. Home and Values, both physical and emotional
2. Poverty and Perseverance
3. Responsibility, Self-Sufficiency, and Non-Conformity
Additional for IB & Honors
4. Illusion and Disillusion
5. Order and Turbulence
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Directions for Chart - Complete the following theme chart with exact quotes from the text to
support your themes. You must include the page number and a brief summary of the scene from
the book. Your summary should be two to three sentences. Your responses must be HAND
WRITTEN.
Theme
Summary of Context Surrounding
Quote with Page Number
Quote
(2 – 3 sentences)
Home and
Summary Direct Quote –
Values, both
physical and
emotional
Home and
Values, both
physical and
emotional
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Home and
Values, both
physical and
emotional
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Poverty and
Perseverance
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Poverty and
Perseverance
(pg.____)
2
Poverty and
Perseverance
Summary -
Direct Quote –
Responsibility,
Self-Sufficiency,
and NonConformity
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Responsibility,
Self-Sufficiency,
and NonConformity
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Responsibility,
Self-Sufficiency,
and NonConformity
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
(pg.____)
IB and HONORS complete additional themes below
Illusion and
Summary Disillusion
Direct Quote –
(pg.____)
3
Illusion and
Disillusion
Summary -
Direct Quote –
(pg.____)
Illusion and
Disillusion
Summary -
Direct Quote –
Order and
Turbulence
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Order and
Turbulence
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Summary -
(pg.____)
Direct Quote –
Order and
Turbulence
(pg.____)
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Directions for Questions - Complete the following questions in complete sentences. You must
explain your answer for full credit. All answers must be hand written.
Part I: A Woman on the Street
1. Describe the incident at the opening of the book. How does Jeannette Walls react? What does
her mother later say in reaction to her daughter’s view of the situation?
2. Why do you think Walls opens the book with this story?
3. Look at the closing two lines of the section. What purpose do they serve?
4. DEFINE EPIGRAPH, then look at the epigraph before the section “A Woman on the Street”.
What do you suppose it means? We will return to the epigraph at the end of the book.
Part II: The Desert
Pages 9-28
5. Describe the hot dog incident. What do we learn about Jeannette from the incident?
What do we learn about the father, the mother, and the family?
6. How does the outside world view the family?
7. Explain why the Walls family keeps moving.
8. Describe the children’s education. What is important to the family?
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9. How does Jeannette feel about her parents? Examples?
10. What stories does Jeannette’s father tell? Why? What can we tell from his stories?
11. Where does the book get its title? Explain.
Page 29-57
12. What is the purpose of the story about Jeannette falling out of the car?
13. How do the Walls family members celebrate Christmas? Why?
14. Describe Jeannette’s fight with the Mexican girls. What does the fight tell you about
Jeannette and the family?
15. Describe the U-Haul story. What is the importance of the story?
Pages 58-90
16. Describe the parents’ methods for raising children. Give examples. Contrast their views with
traditional methods for raising children.
17. Describe how Jeannette learns to read.
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18. How does the Walls family change when the father loses his job?
19. Explain Jeannette’s comment on page 69: “I’d broken one of our unspoken rules: We were
always supposed to pretend our life was long and incredibly fun adventure.”
20. Discuss the quotation on page 78: “Have I ever let you down?”
Pages 91-125
21. Describe how Jeannette felt about her grandmother. How does she react when she learns of
her grandmother’s death?
22. Describe the new house and the Walls family’s new life.
23. Describe the story with the gypsies. What does this tell us about the Walls family?
24. What role does religion play in the Walls family? Explain.
25. Explain the quotation on page 115: “When Dad went crazy, we all had our own ways of
shutting down and closing off, and that was what we did that night.”
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26. Explain the importance of Jeannette’s 10th birthday story. What does the story tell us about
her father?
27. What does the Walls family do to collect money?
28. Explain the movement of the Walls family from the opening of the second section to the end.
How has the family changed? How have individual family members changed?
Part III: Welch
Pages 129-158
29. Describe the family that Jeannette meets in Welch. How do they respond to the visitors? How
do Jeannette and her family react to their new relatives?
30. Explain what happens when Jeannette attends her new school. How does Jeannette react to
her new situation?
31. How do the Walls children respond when their parents leave for Phoenix?
32. Describe the new house the Walls family finds. Explain how each family member reacts to
this new house.
33. Explain the importance of the Glass Castle episode in Welch.
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Pages 159-179
34. Why do Jeannette’s parents reject welfare or charity?
35. Why do so many children hate the Walls family?
36. Describe the story of Jeannette taking care of her injured father.
37. How do the Walls children take care of themselves in this section?
Pages 180-198
38. How does the Walls family respond to Erma’s death? What rift or division develops in the
family? Explain.
39. Explain Jeannette’s mother’s statement that sexual assault is a crime of perception (the way
of understanding). What is your reaction to her statement to her daughter?
40. Describe the episode when Jeannette must rescue her father from the bar. Why is this episode
so important?
41. Jeannette’s mother’s mental health seems to deteriorate (get worse). How? Explain.
42. What’s the purpose of the ring story?
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43. In what ways do Jeannette and her mother switch roles?
Pages 199-217
44. Explain the purpose of the Dinitia stories.
45. How does the school newspaper change Jeannette?
46. Why is Miss Bivens so important to Jeannette and her family?
47. What changes does Jeannette see in Maureen? Explain.
48. Explain Jeannette’s promise to herself on page 208.
49. Explain the difficulties Jeannette encounters in managing the family’s finances for two
months.
50. Describe Jeannette’s first real job. How does the job change her?
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Pages 218-241
51. Describe the plans that Lori and Jeannette make. What do these plans tell us about the
sisters?
52. Describe how and why the Walls children change their feelings for their parents.
53. How does Jeannette’s newspaper job change her? Why?
54. Explain the importance of the Glass Castle discussion on page 238. How has the idea of the
Glass Castle changed since Welch? Look back at your answer to question 33.
Part IV: New York City
55. Describe how Jeannette, Lori, and Brian find success in New York City.
56. How does each child try to help their parents?
57. Explain the significance of Professor Fuchs’ confrontation with Jeannette on page 256.
58. How does Jeannette’s father try to support her with regard to her education? What does this
tell us about him?
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59. Explain the significance of the land purchase squabble on page 272. Do you agree with
Jeannette’s mom that she is a “sell out”?
Part V: Thanksgiving
60. Explain Brian’s statement at the top of page 288: “You know, it’s really not that hard to put
food on the table if that’s what you decide to do.” Why do you think he says it?
Concluding Discussion Questions
61. Explain the book’s epigraph. Refer to your answer for #4.
62. In what ways did their childhood experiences strengthen or damage the Walls children?
63. In what ways were Jeannette’s parents positive role models?
64. In what ways were her parents negative role models?
65. Do you think the government or social services should have removed the Walls children from
the family?
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