LindenHighSchoolBigReadSummerReadingPacket
10thGradeLanguageArts
TheGlassCastlebyJeannetteWalls
Rationale:Summerreadingisanintegralpartofastudent’scontinuityofeducation.Itfunctionsasa
foundationforthenextschoolyear,andoffersstudentsanopportunitytoexploreandexpand
theirappreciationofliteratureduringthesummer.
AllstudentsarerequiredtoreadTheGlassCastlebyJeannetteWallsandcompletethefollowing
activitiesandquestions.AllresponsesmustbeHANDWRITTEN.
The10thgradewillfocusonCONFLICT.
Ø CONFLICTisthestruggleorproblemthatacharacterexperiencesinapieceof
literature.ItcanbeINTERNAL,EXTERNALoracombinationofboth.
Ø EXTERNALCONFLICTexistswhenacharacterstruggleswithsomethingoutsideof
him/herself.Thereare3maincategoriesofEXTERNALCONFLICT.
o manvs.man-physcialstrugglewithanotherperson-afightordifferenceof
opinion
o manvs.nature-conflictwithanythingexternalbesidespeople-includesany
partofthenaturalworld
o manvs.society-conflictagainstthecustoms,beliefsoractionsofthe
community-differenceofopinionwithangrouporsocialcustoms
Ø AnINTERNALCONFLICT(manvs.himself)existswhenacharacterhasastruggle
whichtakesplacewithinhis/hermind.Forexample,acharactermightwrestlewith
conscience,withchoosingbetweenrightandwrong,mighthavemixedemotions
aboutsomethingormightexperiencefearofasituation.
CORECONTENTSTANDARDSCOVEREDINTHISASSIGNMENT
RI.9-10.1 Accurately cite strong and thorough textual evidence, (e.g., via discussion, written response,
etc.) and make relevant connections, to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferentially, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RI.9-10.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze how it is developed and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.9-10.3.Analyzehowtheauthorunfoldsananalysisorseriesofideasorevents,includingthe
orderinwhichthepointsaremade,howtheyareintroducedanddeveloped,andthe
connectionsthataredrawnbetweenthem.
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CompletethischartbydescribinganINTERNALconflictandanEXTERNAL
conflictthateachcharacterexperiences.Allresponsesmustbe
HANDWRITTEN.
TheGlassCastle:CONFLICT(S)
CHARACTERNAME
INTERNAL
CONFLICT
EXTERNAL
CONFLICT
JEANNETTE
THEMOTHER
THEFATHER
BRIAN
LORI
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WHILEYOUAREREADING(ORWHENYOUAREYOUFINISHED),LISTANDDESCRIBETHE
MAJORCONFLICTINEACHSECTIONOFTHEBOOK-THEREMIGHTBEMORETHANONE,AND
THEYMIGHTBEINTERNALAND/OREXTERNAL.
PARTI:AWomanontheStreet
PARTII:TheDesert
PARTIII:Welch
PARTIV:NewYorkCity
PARTV:Thanksgiving
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TheGlassCastle:DiscussionQuestions
Thesequestionsshouldbeanweredincompletesentencesinyourown
words/handwriting.NOELECTRONICCOPIESWILLBEACCEPTED.
PARTI:AWomanontheStreet
1. Describetheincidentatthebeginningofthebook(p.3).Howdoesthecontrastbetween
Jeannette’soutfitandhowsheseeshermotherrevealaconflict?Whatconflict?
2. Whydoestheauthoropenwiththisstory?
3. HowdoyouthinkJeannettefeelsabouthermother?
PARTII:TheDesert
4. Compare/contrasthowJeannetteistreatedinthehospitalwiththewaysheisreallybeing
raised.
5. HowdoestheoutsideworldviewtheWallsfamilyvs.howtheyviewthemselves?
6. DescribeJeannette’sfather’s“real”issuesincontrastwiththerealityofthesituation.“I’d
brokenoneofourunspokenrules:“Wewerealwayssupposedtopretendourlifewasone
longandincrediblyfunadventure.”p.69
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7. ExplainhowtheWallschildrenareeducated.Describetheconflictbetweentraditionalvs.
non-traditionaleducation.
8. HowdoesJeannettefeelaboutherparents?
9. DescribethefightbetweenJeannette’sparents.Howdoesitaffectthechildren?
10. DescribeJeannette’sfightwiththeMexicangirls.Whatdoesthefighttellyouabout
Jeannetteandthefamily?
11. WhataretheWallsparents’methodsforraisingchildren?Contrasttheirviewswith
traditionalmethodsforchildrearing.
12. WhatinternalconflictsdoesJeannetteexperiencewhenherfathersays,“HaveIeverlet
youdown?”p.78
13. DiscusstheimportanceoftheBillyDeelepisode.
14. Compare/contrastJeannette’slifeandBillyDeel’slife.
15. DescribehowJeannettefeltabouthergrandmother.HowdoesJeanettereactwhenshe
learnsofherdeath?
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16. Explainthequotation,“WhenDadwentcrazy,weallhadourownwaysofshuttingdown
andclosingoff,andthatwaswhatwedidthatnight.”(p.115)Howdoeseachchilddeal
withthewaytheyfeelabouttheirfather?
17. Whatdoesthe10thbirthdaystoryrevealaboutJeannette’sfather?
18. ExplainthemovementoftheWallsfamilyfromtheopeningofPartIItotheend.What
conflictshavebeenrevealed?Howhasthefamilychanged?Howhaveindividualfamily
memberschanged?
PARTIII:Welch
19. Onp.129hermothersaystoJeannette,“Lifeisadramafulloftragedyandcomedy.You
shouldlearntoenjoythecomicepisodesalittlemore.”DoesJeannettefeelthatthereis
anythingtolaughatinherlife?
20. DescribeJeannette’sfirstencounterwithhergrandmother(p.130-131).Whatisthe
contrastbetweenwhatsheexpectedandwhatactuallyoccurred?Whatnewconflictis
revealed?
21. HowdotheotherstudentsrespondtoJeannetteathernewschool?(p.139)
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22. GiveoneexampleofhowracismcausesconflictfortheWallsfamily.
23. WhatconflictsariseintheWallschildrenwhentheirparentsleaveforPhoenix?
24. ExplainthehugefightthattakesplacebetweenJeannette’sgrandmotherandtheWalls
children.Howdotheparentsreactwhentheyreturn?Howdoesthischangethefamily?
25. Atthebottomofp.148,Jeannettesays,“AndsoIputitoutofmymind.”Whatinternal
conflictdoesthisreveal?Doyoubeliveitispossibleto“putsomethingoutofyourmind”?
26. DescribethenewhousetheWallsfamilyfinds.Describethecontrastbetween“theglass
castle”thatJeannette’sfatherplansandthenewhouse.
27. AsJeannettematures,whatisthedifferencebetweenhowshewantstolivevs.howsheis
actuallyliving?Giveexamplesofthingsshedoestotrytochangehersurroundings.
28. HowdoestheGinnieSuePastorstorymakeJeannettequestionheroriginalopinionsof
otherpeople?
29. HowdoestheWallsfamilybecomeoutcastswithintheirowncommunity?HowdoBrian
andJeannettecopewithbeinglabeledastheyare?
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30. HowdoBrianandJeannettelearntotakecareofthemselves?
31. WhatconflictarisesinthefamilyduetoErma’sdeath?(p.180-181)
32. WhatdoesLori’sreactionrevealaboutherfeelingsforherfather?
33. ExplainJeannette’smother’sstatementthatsexualassaultisacrimeofperception(p.183184)Whatisthecontrastbetweenwhathermothershouldhavedonevs.whatshe
actuallydoes?
34. ExplainthedifferencebetweenJeannette’smother’sideasabouttheirsituationandwhat
Jeannettethinkstheyshoulddo(p.187-188)
35. HowdoesherconnectionwithMissBivensandtheschoolnewspaperresolveJeannette’s
internalconflictoffeelinglikeanoutsider?
36. Howdoeshermother’smeltdownmakeJeannetteresolvetodothingsdifferentlyfor
herself?
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37. ExplainthedifficultiesJeannettefacesinmanagingthefamily’sfinancesforthesummer.
Whatproblemsdoesshefaceinstickingtoherbudget?
38. Explaintheimportanceofthebarscene(p.210-213).HowdoesJeannette’srelationship
withherfatherbegintochange?
39. Explainthewatchincident.HowdoesJeannette’shonestyatherjobconflictwithher
parents’teachings?
40. Explaintheimportanceoftheincidentonpages218-221.HowdoesthishelpJeannetteto
makeadecisionaboutherfuture?
41. Howandwhydothechildrenchangeintheirfeelingsfortheirparents?
42. Onpages235-236,Jeannettehasadiscussionwithherguidancecounselor.Howdoesthe
advicesheisgivencontrastwithhowaguidancecounselorshouldact?Whatobstacles
doessheputinthewayofJeannette’sdreams?
43. HowdoJeannette’sparentsreacttoherdecisiontoleaveWelch?Howdoesthischange
theirrelationship?
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PARTIV:NewYorkCity
44. ExplainhowJeannetteadjuststolifeinNewYorkCity.
45. Describehoweachofthechildrenfindsuccessinthecity.
46. HowdoesJeannettefeelaboutherparents’arrivalinNewYork?
47. HowdoesJeannette’sparent’slivingsituationcreateconflictforthechildren?
48. p.255-HowdoJeannette’sparents’versionofhomelessnesscontrastwiththestereotype
ofhomelesspeople?
49. p.256-257-TheconfrontationwithProfessorFuchs-Whydoesn’tJeannetteexplainher
formersituation?
50. “Thiscrazy-assmotherofyours,can’tlivewithher,can’tlivewithouther.Anddamnedif
shedoesn’tfeelthesameaboutme.”Howdoesthisquotedefinetheirrelationship?How
doesthisexplainwhyJeannette’sfathercomesback?
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51. IsJeannette’sparentsrelationshipa“healthy”relationship?
52. HowdoestheChristmassceneonp.263revealtherolereversalbetweenfatherand
daughter?WhatconflictdoesitbringupforJeannette?
53. HowdoesherfathertrytosupportJeannetteinhereducation?Whatdoesitrevealabout
him?Howdoesitaffecttheirrelationship?
54. Explainthesignificanceofthelandpurchaseconflictonp.272-273.Whatistheirony?
55. Re-readthedescriptionofMaureenandherlifestyle(p.274-276).Whatconflictsdoesshe
have?Howaretheyaffectingherfuture?
PARTV:Thanksgiving
56. ExplainBrian’sstatementatthetopofp.288,“Youknow,it’sreallynotthathardtoput
foodonthetableifthat’swhatyoudecidetodo.”Whatishispurposeinsayingthis—ishe
tryingtoblamehisparentsorfreethemfromblamebycallingita“decision”?
57. ExplainhowtheindividualmembersoftheWallsfamilyhavechangedsincethedeathof
theirfather.
58. ExplaintheimportanceofthefinaltoasttoJeannette’sfather.
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59. HowdotheWalls’children’sconflictsmakethemstronger?
60. Ifonebelievesthatnooneis“allgood”or“allbad”,whatdoyouthinkarethebestpointsof
theparents(RexandRosemary)?Whataretheirworstpointsasparents?
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