Can resilience be forged in chaos, and hope built like a fragile glass castle against the odds?
Jeannette Walls’ gripping memoir, The Glass Castle, chronicles a childhood marked by poverty, nomadic parents, and stunning moments of brilliance amidst profound dysfunction.
This collection gathers 47 powerful quotes from the book, tracing the Walls children’s journey of self-reliance and survival against the backdrop of their parents’ unconventional, often destructive, choices.
Explore themes of poverty, resilience, family loyalty, and the complex nature of love through these defining lines, complete with page numbers.
*Heads up! Check the note at the end about the specific edition used and why page numbers might vary.*
Part I & II: Desert Beginnings and Hard Lessons
The early years are marked by constant movement, startling poverty, and unique lessons from Rex and Rose Mary Walls on self-sufficiency and facing fears, primarily set in desert mining towns.
“Mom always said people worried too much about their children. Suffering when you’re young is good for you, she said. It immunized your body and your soul, and that was why she ignored us kids when we cried. Fussing over children who cry only encouraged them, she told us. That’s positive reinforcement for negative behavior.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls quoting Rose Mary, Theme: Parenting Philosophy, Neglect?, Page 28)
Analysis: This quote illustrates how Mom believed that the best thing for her children was to allow them to suffer and fend for themselves, even if it meant ignoring them when they were distressed.
“I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Instability, Danger, Awareness, Page 34)
Analysis: This quote emphasizes the unpredictability of life and how that can motivate us to stay aware, alert, and prepared for whatever comes our way.
“That was the thing to remember about all monsters, Dad said: They love to frighten people, but the minute you stare them down, they turn tail and run. “All you have to do, Mountain Goat, is show old Demon that you’re not afraid.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rex Walls to Jeannette, Theme: Facing Fear, Courage, Page 37)
Analysis: This quote shows that even monsters can be beaten when you stand up to them and show them that you are not afraid.
“One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house… Mom frowned at me. “You’d be destroying what makes it special,” she said. “It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speakers: Jeannette Walls & Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Struggle, Beauty, Nature Metaphor, Page 38)
Analysis: This quote suggests that challenges can lead to greater beauty and strength.
“It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Struggle, Resilience, Beauty, Page 38)
“I never believed in Santa Claus… Dad had lost his job… On Christmas Eve, Dad took each one of us kids out into the desert night one by one… “Pick out your favorite star”… “I like that one!”… “that’s Venus”… “You can have a planet if you want.” And he gave me Venus… “Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten,” Dad said, “you’ll still have your stars.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Jeannette recalling Christmas with Rex, Theme: Poverty, Imagination, Lasting Gifts, Page 39-41)
Analysis: This quote is a beautiful reminder of how parents can create meaningful memories for their children despite financial hardship… He made something seemingly ordinary into a special moment that the children will remember forever.
“Those shining stars, he liked to point out, were one of the special treats for people like us who lived out in the wilderness. Rich city folks, he’d say… couldn’t even see the stars. We’d have to be out of our minds to want to trade places with any of them.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Jeannette recalling Rex’s perspective, Theme: Appreciation, Anti-Materialism, Page 39)
Analysis: This quote suggests that even though living in the wilderness can be difficult, it has special rewards… It emphasizes how important it is to appreciate the little things in life.
“Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten, you’ll still have your stars.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rex Walls, Theme: Enduring Value, Dreams vs Things, Page 41)
Analysis: This quote encourages us to keep our hopes and dreams alive, even when our material possessions don’t last forever…
“Whoever coined the phrase ‘a man’s got to play the hand that was dealt him’ was most certainly one piss-poor bluffer.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Agency, Defying Fate, Page 55)
Analysis: This quote suggests that changing one’s life circumstances is possible, even if it seems difficult or impossible…
“Why spend the afternoon making a meal that will be gone an hour,” she’d ask us, “when in the same amount of time, I can do a painting that will last forever?”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Art vs Practicality, Values, Page 56)
Analysis: This quote inspires us to focus our time and energy on creating lasting impact instead of fleeting moments.
“…he pointed to the top of the fire… Dad told us that zone was known in physics as the boundary between turbulance and order. ‘It’s a place where no rules apply… You-all got a little close to it today.'”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator describing Rex explaining fire, Theme: Chaos & Order, Physics Metaphor, Page 61)
Analysis: This quote shows that while there is chaos and disorder in life, sometimes we can find a balance between them… Her dad’s words suggest that anything is possible…
“If you don’t want to sink, you better figure out how to swim”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rex Walls teaching Jeannette, Theme: Self-Reliance, Tough Love, Page 66)
Analysis: This quote suggests that to succeed… You must figure out how to deal with the obstacles to stay afloat…
“No child is born a delinquent. They only became that way if nobody loved them when they were kids. Unloved children grow up to be serial murderers or alcoholics.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Child Development, Need for Love, Page 83)
Analysis: This quote emphasizes the importance of providing love and support to children… Without love and support, children can feel neglected…
“If you had weak eyes, they needed exercise to get strong. Glasses were like crutches. They prevented people with feeble eyes from seeing the world on their own.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator quoting Rose Mary’s philosophy, Theme: Self-Reliance, Avoiding Crutches, Page 96)
Analysis: This quote speaks to the importance of self-reliance… People who rely too heavily on crutches… may not become strong…
“Don’t worry, God understands,’ Mom said. ‘He knows that your father is a cross we must bear.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Endurance, Rationalization, Family Burden, Page 105)
Analysis: This quote emphasizes the importance of family… it can be comforting to remember that God understands…
“Mom told us we would have to go shoplifting… ‘Isn’t that a sin?” I asked Mom. “Not exactly,” Mom said. “God doesn’t mind you bending the rules a little if you have a good reason… This is justifiable pilfering.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speakers: Jeannette Walls & Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Situational Ethics, Rationalization, Page 111)
Analysis: This quote shows how Mom’s attitude toward morality differed… She seemed to think that there were certain cases where bending the rules was permitted…
“Sometimes you have to get sicker before you can get better.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator quoting Rose Mary, Theme: Hitting Bottom, Turning Point, Page 118)
Analysis: This quote reminds us that it sometimes takes hitting rock bottom before we can change and start growing…
“Maybe I should have cut him some slack. With his broken wing and lifetime of eating roadkill, he probably had a lot to be ungrateful about. Too much hard luck can create a permanent meanness of spirit in any creature.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator reflecting on a buzzard, metaphor for Rex?, Theme: Hardship, Empathy, Nature of Meanness, Page 120)
The family’s move to Welch, West Virginia, brings new challenges and exposes the deep dysfunctions rooted in poverty and family history.
Part III: Welch – Confronting Poverty and Prejudice
Life in the impoverished Appalachian town tests the Walls children’s resilience as they face hunger, bullying, and the harsh realities of their parents’ limitations and their grandmother Erma’s cruelty.
“Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy. You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Perspective on Life, Finding Humor, Page 129)
“You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Compassion, Forgiveness, Page 144)
“’I hate Erma,” I told Mom… “You have to show compassion for her…” … “Everyone has something good about them,” she said… “Oh yeah?” I said. “How about Hitler? What was his redeeming quality?” “Hitler loved dogs,” Mom said without hesitation.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speakers: Jeannette Walls & Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Unconditional Compassion?, Moral Complexity, Page 144)
“She was developing what Mom called a bit of a sarcastic streak.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator about Lori Walls, Theme: Character Development, Coping Mechanism, Page 151)
“Life’s too short to care about what other people think. Besides, they should accept us for who we are”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Nonconformity, Self-Acceptance, Page 157)
“One thing about whoring: It put a chicken on the table.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator reflecting on Ginnie Sue Pastor, Theme: Pragmatism, Survival, Moral Ambiguity, Page 163)
“Life there was hard and it made people hard.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Environment Shaping Character, Page 164)
“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Finding Positives, Love of Reading, Page 168)
“She had her addictions and one of them was reading.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator about Rose Mary, Theme: Addiction, Escapism (Reading), Page 168)
“All seasons have something to offer”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Optimism, Finding Good, Page 177)
“What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Resilience, Cliché, Page 179)
“Once you go on welfare it changes you. Even if you get off welfare, you never escape the stigma that you were a charity case. You’re scarred for life.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls, Theme: Pride, Stigma, Poverty, Page 188)
“But the positive thoughts would give way to negative thoughts, and the negative thoughts seemed to swoop into her mind the way a big flock of black crows takes over the landscape…”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator describing Rose Mary’s moods, Theme: Mental State, Negativity, Page 207)
“Unlike diamonds, watches were practical. They were for people on the run, people with appointments to keep and schedules to meet.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Pragmatism vs Luxury, Values, Page 216)
“If you want to be treated like a mother,” I said, “you should act like one.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls to Rose Mary, Theme: Confrontation, Responsibility, Page 219)
“You’re in a horse race but you’re thinking like a sheep. Sheep don’t win horse races.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rex Walls to Jeannette, Theme: Ambition, Mindset, Page 227)
The Walls children make their escape to New York City, seeking independence and stability, but their past inevitably follows them.
Part IV: New York City – Escape and Confrontation
Jeannette and her siblings build successful lives in New York, but their parents eventually follow, choosing homelessness and forcing the children to confront their complex feelings about family, responsibility, and the past.
(Note: p.225 quote placed logically before p.246)
“Once you’d resolved to go, there was nothing to it at all.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator about leaving Welch, Theme: Decision, Escape, Page 225)
“You West Virginia girls are one tough breed,” he said. “You got that right,” I told him.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speakers: Evan & Jeannette Walls, Theme: Resilience, Identity, Page 246)
“New Yorkers, I figured, just pretended to be unfriendly.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Perception, Adaptation, Page 246)
“You didn’t need a college degree to become one of the people who knew what was really going on. If you paid attention, you could pick things up on your own.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Street Smarts, Self-Education, Page 250)
“Sometimes you need a little crisis to get your adrenaline flowing and help you realize your potential.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls about Lori, Theme: Crisis as Catalyst, Page 254)
“Things usually work out in the end.” “What if they don’t?” “That just means you haven’t come to the end yet.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speakers: Rose Mary Walls & Jeannette Walls, Theme: Optimism, Perseverance, Page 259)
“Look at the way you live. You’ve sold out. Next thing I know you’ll become a Republican.” She shook her head. “Where are the values I raised you with?”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls to Jeannette, Theme: Values Conflict, Judgment, Page 269)
“I wanted to let the world know that no one had a perfect life, that even the people who seemed to have it all had their secrets.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Hidden Struggles, Authenticity, Page 270)
“No one expected you to amount to much,” she told me. “Lori was the smart one, Maureen the pretty one, and Brian the brave one. You never had much going for you except that you always worked hard.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Rose Mary Walls to Jeannette, Theme: Family Dynamics, Backhanded Compliment?, Page 270)
“But I also hoped that Maureen had chosen California because she thought that was her true home, the place where she really belonged…”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator reflecting on Maureen, Theme: Belonging, Escape, Page 276)
“I felt best when I was on the move, going someplace rather than being there.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Jeannette Walls as narrator, Theme: Restlessness, Journey vs Destination, Page 280)
Years later, the family gathers, marked by loss but still bound by their shared, complex past.
Part V: Thanksgiving – Reflections and Reunions
The final section reflects on Rex’s death and a family Thanksgiving years later, highlighting the enduring, complicated bonds and the perspective gained over time.
“….he said it was interesting. He used the word ‘textured’. He said ‘smooth’ is boring but ‘textured’ was interesting, and the scar meant that I was stronger than whatever had tried to hurt me.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Context: Narrator quoting her husband John about her scars, Theme: Acceptance, Scars as Strength, Page 286)
“It’s really not that hard to put food on the table if that’s what you decide to do.”
~ Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, (Speaker: Brian Walls, Theme: Pragmatism, Responsibility, Page 288)
Summary: What is The Glass Castle About?
The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls about her unconventional upbringing. The book follows Walls as she recounts growing up in an unstable environment with her reckless and nonconformist parents, Rex and Rose Mary. Despite their poverty and nomadic lifestyle, Walls’ parents instilled a love of learning, courage, and resilience in her and her siblings, enabling them to face life’s obstacles.
The memoir reflects Walls’ journey to adulthood, finding success and stability despite her chaotic childhood. She reflects on her life with humor and heartache, speaking about the strength of family bonds and the enduring power of hope, symbolized by her father’s dream of building a glass castle.
Key Characters in The Glass Castle
The main Walls family members featured are:
- Jeannette Walls: The protagonist and narrator
- Rex Walls: Jeannette’s brilliant but alcoholic father
- Rose Mary Walls: Jeanette’s artistic and free-spirited mother
- Lori Walls: Jeanette’s older sister
- Brian Walls: Jeannette’s younger brother
- Maureen Walls: Jeannette’s youngest sister
- Erma Walls: Jeannette’s paternal grandmother
What is the Glass Castle a Metaphor For?
The Glass Castle, the fantastical solar-powered house Rex always promised to build, serves as a powerful metaphor. It represents:
- Hope and Dreams: It symbolizes the possibility of a better future and the power of imagination, even amidst poverty and instability.
- Fragility: Like glass, the dream is beautiful but ultimately fragile and unrealized, reflecting the broken promises and instability of the Walls family.
- Resilience: Despite the impossibility of the actual glass castle, the *idea* fuels the children’s resilience and desire to build their own, more stable lives.
It reminds us that while grand dreams might shatter, the hope they inspire can still provide strength to overcome hardship.
Final Thoughts: Building Your Own Castle
These 47 quotes from Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle capture the extraordinary resilience forged in a childhood of paradoxes—neglect and brilliance, chaos and fierce loyalty. They invite us to reflect on the meaning of home, the complexities of family, and the strength required to build a future from the fragments of a difficult past.
Walls’ story is a testament to the enduring power of hope and the unconventional ways we find strength, reminding us that even if the promised glass castle never materializes, the act of striving towards it shapes who we become.
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition:
We carefully sourced these quotes from the **Scribner paperback reprint edition (January 17, 2006), ISBN-13: 978-0743247542**. Just like the Walls family’s journey, page numbers can be nomadic across different book printings! Always double-check against your own copy for essays or citations – you wouldn’t want Rex Walls calling your citations ‘piss-poor bluffing’!
Cite This Page (MLA):
Mortis, Jeremy. \”47 The Glass Castle Quotes With Page Numbers and Analysis.\” Ageless Investing, 11 Apr. 2025, agelessinvesting.com/the-glass-castle-quotes/. Accessed [Date You Accessed].
Cite This Page (APA):
Mortis, J. (2025, April 11). *47 The Glass Castle quotes with page numbers and analysis*. Ageless Investing. Retrieved [Date You Accessed], from https://agelessinvesting.com/the-glass-castle-quotes/
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.