The Glass Castle's Hot Pot Of Secrets And Resilience

In Jeannette Walls' memoir, 'The Glass Castle', the hot pot is a natural sulfur spring in the desert north of Battle Mountain, where the Walls family briefly settle. Jeannette's father, Rex, takes the family to the hot pot and decides to teach his daughter, Jeannette, how to swim. He does this by throwing her into the deep centre of the spring and letting her sink, before pulling her out and throwing her back in multiple times. Eventually, Jeannette manages to swim to the side unaided, but she is furious with her father for his teaching methods. Rex justifies his actions by explaining that he was teaching her an important lesson: you can't cling to the side your whole life.

The incident where Jeannette's dress catches fire while cooking hot dogs

In her first memory, three-year-old Jeannette Walls is cooking hot dogs on the stove in her family's trailer in Southern Arizona. Suddenly, the gas flame catches her dress on fire, and the fire spreads rapidly up her torso. Jeannette screams for help, and her mother rushes in from the other room, wraps her in a wool blanket, and takes her to the neighbouring trailer to ask for a ride to the hospital. Jeannette's injuries are serious, and the doctors treat the burns by giving her a series of skin grafts, replacing the burned skin on her upper body with skin from her upper thigh.

The incident illustrates several key themes in the novel. Firstly, it introduces the presence of fire, which initially has the potential to nourish (by allowing Jeannette to cook her hot dogs) but instead causes great damage to her body. Secondly, it highlights the unusual parenting style of Jeannette's parents, who allow their three-year-old child to cook on the stove. This incident is the first of many clashes between the Walls family and the order and cleanliness of hospitals. While hospital staff are concerned about her home environment, Jeannette is happy with her parents' laissez-faire parenting style.

Following the accident, Jeannette becomes fascinated with fire, playing with matches and melting her favourite doll's face. A few days later, she resumes cooking hot dogs on the stove, with her mother's encouragement. This incident is a turning point in Jeannette's childhood, marking the beginning of her fascination with fire and her struggle to navigate the boundary between order and turbulence.

The family's nomadic lifestyle

The Walls family's nomadic lifestyle was largely a result of the father, Rex Walls', inability to hold down a job, and the family's need to stay ahead of debt collectors and law enforcement. The family moved dozens of times, from larger cities like Las Vegas and San Francisco, where Rex could make quick money gambling, to isolated desert mining towns.

Rex's alcoholism and erratic behaviour also contributed to the family's frequent relocations. Despite his many flaws, he shared a special bond with his daughter, Jeannette, and taught her important life lessons about self-sufficiency and resilience.

The Walls children, including Jeannette, often had to take care of themselves and each other, demonstrating ingenuity, determination, and loyalty. Despite the challenges of their upbringing, the children remained resilient and eventually carved out independent lives for themselves.

Jeannette's parents' differing views on hospitals

Jeannette Walls' memoir, *The Glass Castle*, details her nomadic childhood and dysfunctional family. Jeannette's parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, had starkly differing views on hospitals.

Rex Walls was highly suspicious of hospitals and doctors. After Jeannette was discharged from hospital following an accident that left her with severe burns, Rex forcibly removed her from the hospital without receiving clearance to do so. He was disdainful of the "med-school quacks" that ran the hospital and believed that Jeannette should have been taken to a Navajo witch doctor, like her sister Lori had been after being stung by a scorpion. When Brian fell off a couch and cut his head, Rex and Rose Mary bandaged it themselves instead of taking him to the hospital. Rex became so confrontational with the hospital staff that he was forcibly removed by security. Jeannette's parents' dislike for hospitals was also made apparent when they refused to take Maureen to the hospital after she swallowed a bottle of aspirin.

In contrast, Jeannette enjoyed the solitude and order of the hospital. She was excited to finally have a room to herself and was introduced to chewing gum by one of the nurses. However, she was soon removed from the hospital by her father, who was irritated by the doctors.

Jeannette's father's alcoholism

In the memoir, "The Glass Castle", Jeannette Walls recounts her childhood growing up with an alcoholic father, Rex Walls. Rex's alcoholism had a profound impact on Jeannette's life and was a significant factor in the family's frequent moves and unstable living situation.

Rex's drinking problem began after the death of his second daughter, Mary, who died as an infant. Unable to cope with his grief, Rex turned to alcohol, and his drinking only worsened over time. Rex's alcoholism led to him losing numerous jobs, as he was unable to hold down a steady job due to his drinking and insubordination. This resulted in the family constantly moving in search of new opportunities, with Jeannette's family moving at least 20 times in the first ten years of her life.

Rex's alcoholism also contributed to a cycle of poverty and financial instability for the family. With Rex unable to maintain steady employment, the family often struggled to make ends meet, relying on odd jobs, sporadic income, and government assistance. The family frequently went without basic necessities, and the children were sometimes forced to steal or scavenge for food.

Rex's drinking also led to physical and emotional abuse within the family. As his alcoholism worsened, the family lost not only his income but also his optimism. Rex's drinking made him unpredictable and volatile, and he would often get into arguments with Jeannette's mother, Rose Mary, that would turn violent. On one occasion, Rex even tried to kill Rose Mary, chasing her with a car and cornering her against some rocks before throwing her back into the vehicle.

Despite the chaos and instability caused by his drinking, Jeannette still loved her father and craved his approval. She saw him as a creative eccentric and a heroic figure, always placing him on a pedestal despite his flaws. When Jeannette turned ten, she asked her father to stop drinking as her birthday wish, showing how much his alcoholism affected her. Rex tried to quit drinking to honour his daughter's request, tying himself to a bed for a week to go through withdrawal. However, his sobriety didn't last long, and he soon relapsed.

Towards the end of his life, Rex made an effort to reconcile with Jeannette. He contributed to her college tuition, saving her from dropping out, and showed interest in her journalism career. While he never became the hero she once saw him as, Jeannette decided that he loved her in his own way before his death in 1994.

The family's visit to the Hot Pot

The Walls family's visit to the Hot Pot is a significant event in Jeannette's childhood, marking a turning point in her relationship with her father, Rex. The Hot Pot is a natural sulfur spring in the desert, known for its dangers—a couple of drunks and wild teenagers had previously drowned there.

Jeannette, who doesn't know how to swim, is afraid of the water, but her father is determined to teach her. However, his teaching method is harsh and frightening. He throws her into the deep center of the spring, and each time she tries to grab onto him, he throws her back into the water. She flails and struggles, swallowing water, until she finally manages to kick her way to the side. Her father is elated that she's learned to swim and tries to hug her, but she is furious and won't let him near her.

Her father justifies his actions by saying that he was teaching her an important lesson: "If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim." He insists that he wouldn't have let her drown, but Jeannette is shaken by the experience. It is a stark illustration of her parents' philosophy of life, which values self-sufficiency and resilience over compassion.

The incident also highlights the differences between her parents. While her father is teaching her to swim, her mother, Rose Mary, floats by placidly, ignoring what is happening. This event is a pivotal moment in Jeannette's life, marking the beginning of her realization that her father's actions may not always be justifiable.

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