Proadvantage of growing up as walls children (Essay Sample)

Name Instructor Course Date Advantages of Growing Up as the Walls Children Introduction “The Glass Castle,” by Jeannette Walls, is a narrative of her extraordinary childhood led by her eccentric parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls. The narrative is characterized the Walls family’s eventful journey of resilience and adversity. It presents an unusual standard of living marked by poverty and Rex’s desire to construct a glass castle. The Walls children lived through wretched conditions, that molded spirits of resilience, creativity, and unyielding spirit of adventure. However, the problems they faced in achieving these advantages were significant in forming their personalities and views of life. Self-Reliance Having been raised in an environment rife with frequent challenges, the Walls children developed self-reliance in their early days. This unfolds in Walls’ reflection stating, "I never believed in Santa Claus... They couldn't afford expensive presents, and they didn't want us to think we weren't as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, found all sorts of fancy toys under the tree... So they told us all about how other kids were deceived by their parents..." (Walls 39). This assertion clearly illustrates necessity for self-reliance in their upbringing. They demonstrated independence and looked after themselves in different ways, by either foraging for food or dealing with challenging situations. For instance, Jeannette remembers the time she made hot dogs, an act that represents her freedom and capacity to take care of herself. Moreover, this reliance involved much more than physical survival and extended to handling emotions. The children had to rely on their inner abilities to cope with their parent’s inconsistencies and erratic behavior. In addition, their independence was also seen in their education, as they themselves planned their learning trajectory. Without formal education, they developed a self-taught learning method by spending most of their time in a library, reading several books and teaching themselves. In this case, their unrelenting desire to learn, underscores their self-reliance and determination for personal development. Moreover, their childhood adversities shaped their strength and resilience, which is exhibited in the propensity to move through their physical, emotional challenges and the active participation in educating themselves. Creativity Although they faced several challenges, the Walls children were more inventive than children of their ages. Jeanette narrates, "While we were in Midland, Mom painted dozens of variations and studies of the Joshua tree. We'd go with her and she'd give us art lessons" (Walls 38). This embodies their inventive nature in finding joy despite how hard life had hit them. Moreover, their talents in marking arts was also noticeable. Under the supervision of their mother, they were engaged in variety of art, including painting, drawing, and sculpture. However, despite the dire lack of resources, they managed to be creative and converted their emotions into various works of art. Moreover, this creative channel also allowed them to liberate themselves. It also encouraged them to nurture their abilities and to unleash their fantasies. Additionally, the Walls children’s creativity manifested far beyond convectional art. They developed new inventions that enabled them to solve simple problems including making use of items differently in order to play games. This creative thinking and unique solutions marked their success as they dealt with the tangles of their unusual way of life. Resilience Resilience also was one of the most important features that the Walls children gained due to an extreme childhood. Jeannette explains, "The air was hot and stifling. I smelled smoke and then saw flames leaping at the open window... Dad wrapped the blanket around me and picked me up, then ran down the stairs, leading Lori and Brian with one arm and holding me in the other" (Walls 33). This represents their survival instinct in the face of divers challenges. Despite facing failures, Walls children gained valuable knowledge that helped them to become resilient. They were flexible, they lived and learned from the past and they developed an individual mechanism that helped them in resolving the problems. For instance, when their father lost his job or they had terrible living conditions, however, they kept faith and managed to conquer their challenges with resilience. In addition, the resilience of the Walls children is seen through their mental strength and determination. They treasured each moment, took delight in little things and the simplicity of beauty, always happy as the principle of life. The Walls children in essence, through many ways, despite obstacles, had several benefits from their upbringing. Their personality not only defined by their self-sufficiency, creativity, and stamina but was also a source of strength, in moments of adversity. However, these difficulties made them strong and endowed them with all the needed instruments and knowledge in solving their challenges. Balances of Benefits and Horrors The Walls family was resilient in several hardships they encountered. These included poverty, neglect, sometimes hunger, and unsafe environments. In such conditions, they were unlucky and suffered from lack of food, water and medical supplies. Cumulatively, these difficulties characterized a dreadful childhood. Therefore, such experiences nurtured the children with an unyielding spirit and this was reflected in Jeannette who at her young age had to do most of the chores in the family, portraying her capability to endure adversities. In addition, their creativity was enhanced through artistic endeavors that provided useful means of coping with their feelings that later made them to adapt. Besides, their mother’s instruction regarding paintings such as that of the Joshua tree, facilitated them to acquire creative characteristics. They employed this creativity as a form of innovation to solve their problems, make beauty their muse and reflect their inner worlds, which highlighted the importance of creativity. Nevertheless, the trauma and neglect they were subjected to severely influenced their mental health. This resulted in characteristics like mistrust and emotional scars. In addition, the lack of stability and security in their early years, the circumstances left dir...