《玻璃城堡》美国文学分析-英文.doc

Using biographical information, determine how Walls is shaping her memoir. Are there things she is leaving out? Is she slanting information in a certain why to achieve a particular effect? Use three or more sources. Attach copies of the sources used.The Shaping of Walls Memoir1.IntroductionThe Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls is a memoir which recalls the childhood life of Jeannette herself and her siblings. Jeannette uses a unique narrative structure to shape her memoir.Jeannette describes the woman on the street as the beginning of the novel, and tells their stories in changeable living places among the desert, Welch and New York City, thus shows a full picture of the vagabond life of the Walls family. The novel eventually ends in a Thanksgiving Day, which makes the whole story full of sweet atmosphere, letting the readers chew and taste the words repetitively. (Zinesser, 2009)2. Special narration orderAt the beginning, the author describes her mother, who was addicted to painting and writing. Her mother was unable to bear the monotonous life and chose to lead a vagrant life. She was seeking for something around the junk. She saw Jeannette but did not talk to her for the sake of so-called face. Jeannette arranged the structure with a reverse order. (Balzer, 2011) This is such a ridiculous plot that makes readers wonder why could a famous journalist have a beggar mother, and they cannot wait to know the story behind it.The theme of the novel is the wandering life, so throughout the full text is the memoir of constant stray life. The author narrates that when she was three years old, her family started the vagrant life for some strange reasons. They came to the desert from the bustling city, and left the wilderness to the town. They lived like nomadic people, constantly wandered from one place to another. (Walls, 2009) There were too much uncertainty, mysterious imagination and risk waiting for them. So the readers seem like accompany the author to begin a journey full of mysteries and adventure. (Conversations with Famous Writers, 2005)Every part of the memoir are relatively independent and interdependent. (Balzer, 2011) The author uses her fathers dream of building a glass castle and constantly looked for gold as a clear glue through the full text, and makes every with legendary life experience in each vagabond place to enrich the context. The author narrated the unique life experience with emotional language, let every story so attractive. (Bryn,2011) For example, the first scene the author recalls is that the three-year-old little girls pink skirt caught fire while her mother was keeping painting next door. This scene is so vivid, and it also has both charm of messy and panic. Predictably, although the event of the little girl catching fire is so strange, in this family is very normal. The mobile family is so rich in romantic personality and fantastic dreams, which inevitably have incredible impact on the growth of the children. (Irvin, 2012) The three children had to find food in trash every day, they had no nice clothes and toys, the only gif received was the stars their father pointed to the sky. Every story is so amazing and sad. Readers can find that every ordinary story is actually is a kind of adventure. (Walls, 2009) 3. The triple identity of WallsAs the authors memoir, during the process of narration, the author needs to balance the subjective and objective relationship between her self and the leading character in the book, besides she needs to consider the readability and popularity of the novel. (Balzer, 2011) Under such premises, the memoir undoubtedly shapes the triple identities of the author.(Rogers et al, 2012)Her first indenty is the author of the objective narration. When Janette tells her own story, she must stand in the authors point of view to think about the structure and content.(Maurin,2011) For example, where and when should the story begin?What about the logical arrangement ? What other experiences should be described? How to express them with language ? As the authors personal memoir, she must narrate her real experience, thereby the direct requirement of the first characteristic is the reality of art. Art reality is the manipulated reality of life which is created by writers and artists after their deep experience of the real life.Only the reality can move the audience, and only the reality can be attractive. Reality comes from life and superior than life. (Rogers et al, 2012)Another identity of the author is the leading character of the memoir. When the author tells the life story about herself to the readers, she will stand in the angle of the ego to think about many things. When she was at the time of storytelling, she tended to add some imaginary parts, so as to attract readers. It is said that only the imaginary things would not lie, it opens a secret door of ones life, thus his unknown spirit would slip out of the door unnoticeably. (Ritterhouse,2011) Especially as a famous journalist, her successful life experience is a precious wealth. Publicizing her own growth and her struggling process can Jeanette let herself obtain unprecedented sense of satisfaction. Moreover, she needs to make best use of the emotional capabilities, so as to let every story fully attract readers attention. For example, Janette wrote down When the rains finally came.we splashed and sang and danced.we gasped over the most spectacular bolts, as if we were all watching a fireworks show. (Walls, 2009) Such fireworks show can definitely make readers laugh out! In addition, when the author tell about her own life experience, she also have to consider the complicity of each story. As only a complete story can make readers feel the ever-lasting meaning and highlight the characters personality charm, and further show the authors legendary life . Thirdly, Jeanette has the identity of a reader as well. Jeanette wrote her own memoirs, she should fully show herself. Therefore, she was also standing at the position to appreciate herself. (Bryn,2011) She is the author as well as a critical reader. However sometimes even the author herself would beunable to distinguish the fiction and the real life of art. When she read the novel from a readers perspective, it would be easier to make her work more tailored to the interest of readers, and appeal to the trend of the times. For instance, is the work filled with positive attitudes towards life and the world ? Is the book readable? As what the memoir the Glass Castle wants to tell each reader is Jeanettes unique life experience, and the spiritual feature of embracing life, and her optimistic attitude towards life. (Bryn,2011)3.The elasticity of the characters destiny The elasticity of peoples destiny is another important part in shaping the memoir. In the memior, Jeanettes parents love adventurous life and have a stray life of freedom. The uncertainties of this kind of life have caused the family without fixed income. They sometimes could feed themselves for a couple of days, but sometimes they many hunger for many days. Along with constant wandering and displacement of life, the family lives a life without any sense of security. Dressed in rags and the lack of food constantly shake the weak family. As a result, they have to suffer from others bullying. (Conversations with Famous Writers, 2005)However, during the straying life, the father has an immortal belief which is to build a glass castle. It would have a glass ceiling and thick glass walls and even a glass staircase. (Walls, 2009) They will no longer be interrupted by the outside world and enjoy their happy life. Although father did not finally realize this desire, this wonderful dream supports the whole family constantly wander and look for gold. The struggle in this vagabond life does not damage the Janette and her sisters pursuit and yearning for a better life. During the stray life, they learn the life skills, overcome all kinds of hardships encountered, study hard and work hard all by themselves unremittingly to change the bitterness their parents have brought to them. In the end, they escape from the vagabond life of their parents and live in New York for a better life.(Walls, 2009)4. Critical evaluation of the memoirWhen I retrospected the interesting stories and moving plots in the book, at the same time I analyze the shortcomings of the memoir with a rational perspective. Firstly, in order to fully demonstrate her growth, the author adopted too many hippie style of language from the United States during the process of narration.(Wilson,2012) Non-native readers may find it difficult to understand and have to spend much time looking up in the dictionary. Secondly, in pursuit of the true account of the story, the author used narrative language too much, while the characterization of the familys characteristics are lack. Last but not the least, in terms of the structure of the work, it changes chapter based on the familys living place. So it causes into excessive separations between each chapter, which gives readers a feeling of scattered. 5. ConclusionJanettes writing style is very calm. She hardly expresses anger, and almost does objectively. Meanwhile there is a sense of humor togrther with warmth of the memory in the book.(Balzer, 2011) As a conclusion, every excellent book can increase peoples faith in human spirits, The Glass Castle is an autobiographical work that worthwhile reading. Jeanette won the success through poverty, fires, and hunger ultimately. She used accurate and elegant words to characterize her great turbulent and sad childhood, which is a victory of human nature. (Wilson,2012) She filled with sincerity and love to write memoir of twists and warmth, which attracts every readers spirit and also inspires people to pursue a happy life. References:Balzer, P. . Writing & Selling Your Memoir: How to Craft Your Life Story So That Somebody Else Will Actually Want to Read