The Glass Castle: The Walls

Even as a young kid, Brian takes on the reasonability of a father, like they way children do when one or both of their parents are absent from their lives. I first noticed it when tried to defend Jeannette, when the young girls were beating her up. And when he protected Jeannette from the knowledge of what actually goes on in the Green Machine. Brian has always been there for Jeannette to protect her. When Rex was "at work", and the creep came in and was touching Jeannette, Brian was there ready to attack. Where was Rex when all of this happened? He was "at work." Even under ten years old, Brian is more of a father than Rex has the potential to be.

At the beginning of the Glass Castle, it appeared as if the Walls children were getting a nontraditional way of being educated. Their reading level was way above what it could've been, if they would've went to school like normal children. They were able to learn things that they could help them in real life, like shooting a rifle. Even though it is very dangerous, it did help the children protect themselves when needed. Plus, the children were able to have a basically healthy relationship with their parents. As the book went on and the children got older, their parents started having them learn the traditional way, by putting them in school. This caused the Walls to come crashing down. Rex started to drink more and more since he wasn't teaching his children, causing him to become abusive and neglectful toward his family that he was supposed to be supporting. The more Rex became an alcoholic, the more Rose Mary started to blame and hate the children. Only seeming to care about them when she could benefit from them in some way, shape, or form. She also resents them because they are preventing her from becoming an artist.  She feels as if they are holding her back and taking from her. That's why she hid the chocolate bar from her starving kids. And why she never sold her inherited land that was probably worth one million dollars.