Rose And Rex: Breaking Laws Recklessly

In Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle, she describes her parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, as neglectful and violent. Rose Mary, a starving artist, often prioritised her art over feeding her children, while Rex, an alcoholic, was constantly running away from debt collectors. The Walls were also known for their turbulent relationship, marked by frequent fights, which sometimes turned violent. On one occasion, Rex tried to run down a pregnant Rose Mary with his car, and another time, the couple got into a fight that resulted in Rose Mary dangling from an upstairs window after attempting to jump out. Rex's alcoholism and inability to hold down a job, coupled with Rose Mary's neglectful behaviour, led to a chaotic and unstable home life for their children.

Rose Mary and Rex Walls' constant fighting and violence

The Walls' children, including the author of "The Glass Castle", Jeannette Walls, often bore the brunt of their parents' volatile relationship. Rex's drinking binges and unpredictable behaviour made him prone to violent outbursts, which frequently targeted Rose Mary. On one occasion, after an argument about money and their respective responsibilities to the family, Rex dangled Rose Mary out of a second-floor window, with the neighbours gathering outside to watch. It was only due to the intervention of their children, who rushed into the house, that Rex pulled Rose Mary back inside.

Another incident involved Rex trying to run down a pregnant Rose Mary with his car in the desert after a dispute about how far along her pregnancy was. Their fights were often loud and disruptive, with one argument bringing the entire neighbourhood out of their homes. Rex's violent behaviour was not limited to Rose Mary, as he also screamed at and terrorised the children. He once destroyed the family's Christmas tree by setting it on fire while drunk, ruining the presents and ornaments.

Rose Mary, while not as physically violent as Rex, was also complicit in the constant fighting and neglect of her children. She prioritised her art and freedom over the basic needs of her family, leaving her children to fend for themselves when it came to food and other necessities. She even went as far as to blame her children for their hunger, stating, "it's not my fault if you're hungry." Rose Mary's self-centredness and lack of responsibility added fuel to the fire of the couple's volatile relationship and made life more challenging for their children.

The Walls' children grew up in an unpredictable and chaotic environment, never knowing when their parents' arguments would escalate into violent outbursts. Despite moments of love and reconciliation between Rex and Rose Mary, their relationship was characterised by frequent fighting, violence, and neglect, which had a profound impact on their children's lives.

Rose Mary's neglect of her children

Rose Mary Walls, mother of Jeannette Walls, is portrayed as a neglectful parent in her daughter's memoir, "The Glass Castle". Rose Mary's actions and attitudes are detailed throughout the book, highlighting her lack of concern for her children's well-being and her failure to provide for their basic needs.

One of the most striking examples of Rose Mary's neglect is her response to three-year-old Jeannette cooking hot dogs by herself and subsequently catching fire. Instead of recognising the danger and ensuring proper supervision in the future, Rose Mary reinforces her daughter's self-sufficiency, stating that "cooking hot dogs is easy". This philosophy of childrearing is further emphasised when Rose Mary expresses disapproval of Jeannette receiving a skin graft in a hospital, as she does not believe in Western medicine. She also kidnaps Jeannette from the burn unit, stating that they are checking out "Rex Walls style". This incident reveals Rose Mary's disregard for her child's safety and her willingness to put her personal beliefs before Jeannette's medical needs.

Rose Mary's neglect is also evident in her failure to provide adequate nutrition for her children. She prioritises her art over feeding her children, leaving them to fend for themselves. Jeannette recalls stealing food from classmates' lunches and foraging for food on the streets to stave off starvation. On the rare occasions when there was food in the house, the family would gorge until it was gone, with no sense of rationing. Rose Mary's response to her children's hunger is to blame them, stating, "it's not my fault if you're hungry", further emphasising her lack of accountability as a parent.

Another instance of Rose Mary's neglect is her relaxed attitude towards her children's education. She enrols them in school but fails to ensure their regular attendance. The children are often left to their own devices, and when they do attend school, they are ill-prepared and hungry. Rose Mary's lack of involvement in her children's education is evident, and it is only through their own resourcefulness that they manage to keep up with their studies.

The Walls family's constant moving also contributes to the sense of instability and neglect. Rex and Rose Mary frequently uproot the family, sometimes in the middle of the night, with little regard for the children's well-being or education. This nomadic lifestyle takes precedence over providing a stable home environment, further emphasising Rose Mary's neglectful parenting.

Lastly, Rose Mary's inability to protect her children from Rex's violent behaviour is another form of neglect. She often hides during his drunken episodes, leaving the children to try and calm him down. On one occasion, she even encourages her children to give their drunken father a gift of an antique lighter, which he uses to set their Christmas tree on fire. This incident highlights Rose Mary's poor judgement and failure to shield her children from harm.

Rex's alcoholism

Rex Walls was an alcoholic. He drank much of the family's money away, and his alcoholism was a central theme in the family's life. Rex was a fun, loving father when he drank beer, but he became a monster when he drank liquor, which he only did when he had money.

Rose Mary's selfishness and neglect of her parental responsibilities

Rose Mary Walls, mother of Jeannette Walls, is portrayed as a neglectful and selfish parent in her daughter's memoir, "The Glass Castle". Rose Mary's actions and attitudes are detailed in the book, which describes how she prioritised her own desires over the needs of her children.

Rose Mary's selfishness is evident in her neglect of her children's basic needs, particularly their need for food. She often left her children to fend for themselves when it came to finding sustenance. On one occasion, three-year-old Jeannette was left to cook hot dogs by herself, resulting in a fire that caused serious burns requiring a skin graft. Despite this incident, Rose Mary continued to prioritise her own interests over her children's welfare. She and her husband, Rex, would often gorge on food when it was available, with no thought for rationing or ensuring there was enough for future meals, resulting in periods of starvation for the children.

Rose Mary's selfishness is also apparent in her attitude towards her children's education. She was a certified teacher but refused to prioritise her children's education, instead choosing to focus on her art. When her children were enrolled in school, she failed to ensure they received adequate instruction, resulting in them having to teach themselves and each other. Rose Mary's neglectful behaviour extended beyond their education; she also failed to provide a safe and stable home environment for her children. The family frequently moved from one desolate town to another, and Rose Mary allowed vagrants to wander into their home at night, endangering her children's safety.

Rose Mary's selfishness and neglect reached a climax when she and Rex brought their children to a thrift store on Christmas, giving them each only a dollar to buy presents. That same night, Rex got drunk and set the thrift-store Christmas tree on fire, destroying the tree and the presents, and dashing the children's hopes for a happy Christmas.

Rose Mary's actions and attitudes had a significant impact on her children's lives, and her neglectful and selfish behaviour contributed to a chaotic and unstable family environment. Her children were often left to their own devices, forced to scavenge for food, and endured periods of starvation due to their parents' inability to provide for them. Despite the challenges they faced, the Walls children managed to escape their parents' neglect and build lives of their own.

Rose Mary and Rex's inability to provide for their children

Rose Mary and Rex Walls are the parents of Jeannette Walls, the author of the memoir *The Glass Castle*. They had four children: Lori, Jeannette, Brian, and Maureen. Rose Mary and Rex were unable to provide for their children in several ways, including failing to meet their basic needs, prioritising their own interests over their children's welfare, and exposing their children to unsafe and unstable environments.

Rose Mary and Rex neglected their children's basic needs, particularly regarding food and housing. The family often went hungry, and the children were forced to scavenge for food or steal from classmates' lunches. On one occasion, Rose Mary scolded her daughters for eating the last of the margarine, only to break down in tears when they admitted their hunger. The family's housing was also unstable, as they frequently moved from one small town to another, sometimes in the middle of the night. They often lived in substandard conditions, such as an old building that once served as a railroad depot, where they slept in boxes and used spools as furniture.

Both Rose Mary and Rex prioritised their own interests over the welfare of their children. Rose Mary was a starving artist who spent most of her time painting and what little money she had on art supplies, neglecting her children's needs. She also refused to get a job to support her family, despite having a teaching degree. When she did eventually take up a teaching position, she was more interested in her art than in educating her students. Rex, meanwhile, was an alcoholic who drank away much of the family's money. He was unable to hold down a job due to his drinking and frequent fights with superiors. He also prioritised his dreams of striking it rich over providing for his family, often quitting jobs to pursue get-rich-quick schemes or gold prospecting.

The children were exposed to unsafe and unstable environments due to their parents' negligence. Rose Mary and Rex's frequent fights sometimes turned violent, with Rex destroying property and even dangling Rose Mary out of a second-floor window during one argument. The children were also exposed to Rex's alcoholism and unpredictable behaviour, such as when he set their Christmas tree on fire. The family's living situations were often unsafe, and the children were left unsupervised, leading to several dangerous incidents. For example, three-year-old Jeannette was left unattended in the kitchen and suffered severe burns when her dress caught fire while cooking hot dogs. In another incident, Jeannette fell out of a moving car and was badly injured, but her parents continued driving and only returned for her later.

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