Some of the greatest literary works in history are supposed to have been written or conceived while the author was high. This naturally leads one to make the association that more drugs equals more creativity. A reasonable associaton while reading Alice in Wonderland for the first time, or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. However, it is questionable as to whether this is actually the case.
Stephen King says in his book On Writing, that "the idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the greast pop-intellectual myths of our time." For King, this is not a topic for debate. He is stating that that link is myth. It does not exist. And he should know. He spent years as an alcoholic and sniffing cocaine, worrying about whether he could continue the way he was. After a while, he just stopped caring.
In his book, King also describes not being able to remember writing his book Cujo. If you can't remember writing something, did you actually write it? If it's a question of bad memory, then yes, you likely did write it, unless you plagiarized. However, if you can't remember because you were so hopped up on drugs at the time, it's debatable whether or not you actually wrote it, or whether it was the drugs kicking your brain into overdrive and spewing words out at a hundred miles an hour.
There are many fantastic books written by sober people, or people who were sober when they wrote them, at least. Often, authors who partake in drugs and alcohol are more well known for their questionable habits than their literary works, which is a great pity.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Independant Reading Blog#10: 'Tis - Ability to Relate to the Story
Frank McCourt's memoir 'Tis is not supposed to be a book we can relate to, I think. The singular experiences of this young Irish gentleman are experiences only possible in a time long gone. We today are likely not able to understand McCourt's predicaments and problems. We may, however, be able understand the motives, emotions, or desires, as they are fairly human. He speaks of wanting to move up in life, of wanting sex, or womanly company at least, and of wanting to fit in. These are all human feelings that we can relate to, however, McCourt's specific experiences can hardly be related to for the average person, as they are so far from what we have experienced. However, this most certainly does not detract from the entertainment and enjoyability of 'Tis. It is a superbly written book, and well worth the read.
Independant Reading Blog#9: 'Tis - Social Commentary
The social commentary in Frank McCourt's 'Tis mostly pertains to the poor Irish class living in New York in the 1950's. There is rampant alcoholism, and therefore financial instability prevails. Education is not sought after, and in some cases even made fun of. It seems to be a very ignorant and racist society, as each ethinic group had a nickname. The Irish were referred to as "Micks", a shortened form of the common Irish name Michael.
McCourt wonders at points in the book about this new country he's just moved to, which is supposed to be a country in which you're free to do what you want, but in which he feels constrained by foreign rules and etiquette he doesn't know or understand.
McCourt wonders at points in the book about this new country he's just moved to, which is supposed to be a country in which you're free to do what you want, but in which he feels constrained by foreign rules and etiquette he doesn't know or understand.
Independant Reading Blog#8: 'Tis - Themes
There are three major themes in Frank McCourt's memoir 'Tis, all of which have to deal with personal advancement, or barriers blocking the way for personal advancement.
The first theme is the importance of education. Education, a thing which McCourt has precious little of upon arrival in New York, soon becomes his main priority. This is because he recognizes that if he does not gain academic knowledge, he will not be able to get a good enough non-labour job that will support him. Throughout the first part of the book, McCourt is fascinated with the University students he sees on the buses and subways around the city. Once he graduates, he becomes a teacher, because he realizes the importance of passing on his own knowledge.
The second theme is racism/classism. McCourt is constantly struggling against the racist society of the 1950's. Even though he is white, and going to college, his Irish accent gives him away as a foreigner, and even his professors make remarks about his "brogue". It is usually not an overt or aggresive racism, such as it is for the blacks in the book, although it does sometimes take the form of an insult accompanied by the term "mick". It is usually implied, but just enough to let the person know they're different. This leads to the Irish experienced with New York giving the advice to the new arrivals "keep to your own kind".
The third theme in 'Tis is the importance of hard work. The point is made that if one works hard enough, one can get anything they want. Minor characters in the book give examples of Irishmen who came to America young, worked hard their entire life, and saved up their money, and retired home to Ireland rich. McCourt also works hard to get where he does, working two jobs at a time, on top of going to school. When he teaches, he has to work during the summer in order to sustain himself. But he does well for himself in the end, and that might be to act as incentive for readers to work hard, or at least to understand the importance of hard work.
The first theme is the importance of education. Education, a thing which McCourt has precious little of upon arrival in New York, soon becomes his main priority. This is because he recognizes that if he does not gain academic knowledge, he will not be able to get a good enough non-labour job that will support him. Throughout the first part of the book, McCourt is fascinated with the University students he sees on the buses and subways around the city. Once he graduates, he becomes a teacher, because he realizes the importance of passing on his own knowledge.
The second theme is racism/classism. McCourt is constantly struggling against the racist society of the 1950's. Even though he is white, and going to college, his Irish accent gives him away as a foreigner, and even his professors make remarks about his "brogue". It is usually not an overt or aggresive racism, such as it is for the blacks in the book, although it does sometimes take the form of an insult accompanied by the term "mick". It is usually implied, but just enough to let the person know they're different. This leads to the Irish experienced with New York giving the advice to the new arrivals "keep to your own kind".
The third theme in 'Tis is the importance of hard work. The point is made that if one works hard enough, one can get anything they want. Minor characters in the book give examples of Irishmen who came to America young, worked hard their entire life, and saved up their money, and retired home to Ireland rich. McCourt also works hard to get where he does, working two jobs at a time, on top of going to school. When he teaches, he has to work during the summer in order to sustain himself. But he does well for himself in the end, and that might be to act as incentive for readers to work hard, or at least to understand the importance of hard work.
Independant Reading Blog#7: 'Tis - Setting
Frank McCourt's 'Tis is written in the unique setting of New York in the 1950's, a time and place where the prosperity of the post war economy was being enjoyed to its fullest. However, in the same city, at the same time, there was also a large population of people living in poverty. Most of the impoverished being Irish or Puerto Rican, the two cultures within the poor population were further isolated due to cultural differences, as well as from the general population by their financial differences. Racism against both cultures is common at the time, even despite the Irish being white, and ancestors of many New Yorkers.
McCourt experiences various facets of life in New York City at that time. He worked in the rough and tumble docks, where you had to watch out for a bailing hook coming at your back. He went to school at NYU, where he sat beside middle and upper-middle class college students. He taught at a Manhattan high school, where he had to tame the kids before he could teach them anything.
Much of what McCourt was concerned about in his early years in Manhattan though, was finding accomodation. He goes through a number of boarding houses and hotel rooms, before he finds one that he's even remotely satisfied with. He is then, of course, forced to move for various reasons, and the process repeats itself. McCourt's travels through New York's Irish boarding houses gives you good idea of the social setting at the time. For example, all of the boarders he lives with drink heavily, all of the rooms he stays in are shabby and unkept, and many of the landlords have problems of their own. The church still often looked after the poor.
McCourt experiences various facets of life in New York City at that time. He worked in the rough and tumble docks, where you had to watch out for a bailing hook coming at your back. He went to school at NYU, where he sat beside middle and upper-middle class college students. He taught at a Manhattan high school, where he had to tame the kids before he could teach them anything.
Much of what McCourt was concerned about in his early years in Manhattan though, was finding accomodation. He goes through a number of boarding houses and hotel rooms, before he finds one that he's even remotely satisfied with. He is then, of course, forced to move for various reasons, and the process repeats itself. McCourt's travels through New York's Irish boarding houses gives you good idea of the social setting at the time. For example, all of the boarders he lives with drink heavily, all of the rooms he stays in are shabby and unkept, and many of the landlords have problems of their own. The church still often looked after the poor.
Independant Reading Blow#6: 'Tis - Characters
Frank McCourt as a character is rather innoncent and naive, in a way. He is quick to go along with whatever is happening, partly because he never knows what to do. He figures things out throughout the course of the book, but he could have benefited from some of his later knowledge earlier on.
There are three characters in Frank McCourt's 'Tis that influence McCourt the most. These are his girlfriend Alberta "Mike" Small, Horace another warehouse worker, and his father. There are an assortment of other smaller characters, from whom McCourt learns, including the Biltmore Hotel's Puerto Rican kitchen staff, Italian-American soldiers, and inner city Manhattan high school kids, but none touch him quiet the same way these three do.
Mike Small changes the way McCourt thinks about women. Small is a fellow NYU student, who meets McCourt in one of their classes. He describes her as having a "figure that you only see in films", and is over the moon when he gets a smile from her. Before dating her, he viewed women mainly as a gateway to sex. However, afterwards, he was more open to the concept of a long term relationship with a woman, rather than a one night stand at least. For a while, McCourt's life revolved around Small.
Horace the dock worker plays an important role for McCourt. He acts as a fatherly figure while McCourt is going through tough academic, social, and financial times in New York. The only problem: Horace was black. This earned both McCourt and Horace a lot of negative attention from the other dockworkers, turning their father-son like relationship into something more special, that was worth defending. McCourt even says that he wishes Horace could've been his father, because Horace encourages his son to go to university in Canada.
The third, and probably most influential character on McCourt is his father. This is because McCourt views his father as the source of all his problems in life. His father's alcoholism cost McCourt, his mother and brothers their happiness and their economic security, pushing them further into poverty. The most shaping force on McCourt's life was the absence of his father.
There are three characters in Frank McCourt's 'Tis that influence McCourt the most. These are his girlfriend Alberta "Mike" Small, Horace another warehouse worker, and his father. There are an assortment of other smaller characters, from whom McCourt learns, including the Biltmore Hotel's Puerto Rican kitchen staff, Italian-American soldiers, and inner city Manhattan high school kids, but none touch him quiet the same way these three do.
Mike Small changes the way McCourt thinks about women. Small is a fellow NYU student, who meets McCourt in one of their classes. He describes her as having a "figure that you only see in films", and is over the moon when he gets a smile from her. Before dating her, he viewed women mainly as a gateway to sex. However, afterwards, he was more open to the concept of a long term relationship with a woman, rather than a one night stand at least. For a while, McCourt's life revolved around Small.
Horace the dock worker plays an important role for McCourt. He acts as a fatherly figure while McCourt is going through tough academic, social, and financial times in New York. The only problem: Horace was black. This earned both McCourt and Horace a lot of negative attention from the other dockworkers, turning their father-son like relationship into something more special, that was worth defending. McCourt even says that he wishes Horace could've been his father, because Horace encourages his son to go to university in Canada.
The third, and probably most influential character on McCourt is his father. This is because McCourt views his father as the source of all his problems in life. His father's alcoholism cost McCourt, his mother and brothers their happiness and their economic security, pushing them further into poverty. The most shaping force on McCourt's life was the absence of his father.
Independant Reading Blog#5: 'Tis - Plot
'Tis, the second book in Frank McCourt's trilogy of memoirs begins with the author landing in New York as an eighteen year-old. McCourt arrives by ship, and in the company of a priest, who helps McCourt get established in his new city. The priest then departs for his Californian parish, leaving McCourt after an uncomfortable occurence in their hotel the previous night.
The priest is one of the many characters that populate McCourt's memoir, which spans from McCourt's 1949 New York arrival, till roughly 1985, the year McCourt's father died. In between, we follow Frank McCourt through the prime years of his life, which he spends thinking about girls, hopping from job to job, and trying to get an education to move himself up in the world. McCourt starts off working at the Biltmore Hotel, before joing the American Army and serving in Europe as a dog trainer and company clerk. When he returns, he goes through stints working in the docks and warehouses of New York harbour and goes through some training at an insurance company. Eventually, he attends social science classes at NYU, and upon graduation, he settles into a teaching job at McKee Vocational and Technical High School. He teaches for more than thirty years in Manhattan's public school system.
Throughout his life, McCourt is forced through frequent lodging changes, living in every kind of Irish boarding house imaginable, including one run by a Jew. To complicate matters for himself, he is usually chasing after a girl, which often distracts him from his studies. The girl who makes the biggest splash in his life is Alberta "Mike" Small, a fellow student at NYU, who changes the way McCourt thinks about women.
The final scene in the book is at McCourt's father's funeral in Belfast. His mother, Angela, has already died, and his estranged father is the last immediate family he has left in Ireland. As Frank and his youngest brother Alphie travel to Belfast for the funeral, they close an era marked by the gradual migration of the McCourt family to America. The two McCourt brothers are returning to their homeland, now no longer the primary residence of members of their family. This is opposite to the beginning of the book, where Frank McCourt travels on his own to New York, not knowing anybody. The journeys inbetween, particularly that of Frank McCourt, show the migration of a family, through hard work, not only to a new country, but to a much better social and economic standing.
The priest is one of the many characters that populate McCourt's memoir, which spans from McCourt's 1949 New York arrival, till roughly 1985, the year McCourt's father died. In between, we follow Frank McCourt through the prime years of his life, which he spends thinking about girls, hopping from job to job, and trying to get an education to move himself up in the world. McCourt starts off working at the Biltmore Hotel, before joing the American Army and serving in Europe as a dog trainer and company clerk. When he returns, he goes through stints working in the docks and warehouses of New York harbour and goes through some training at an insurance company. Eventually, he attends social science classes at NYU, and upon graduation, he settles into a teaching job at McKee Vocational and Technical High School. He teaches for more than thirty years in Manhattan's public school system.
Throughout his life, McCourt is forced through frequent lodging changes, living in every kind of Irish boarding house imaginable, including one run by a Jew. To complicate matters for himself, he is usually chasing after a girl, which often distracts him from his studies. The girl who makes the biggest splash in his life is Alberta "Mike" Small, a fellow student at NYU, who changes the way McCourt thinks about women.
The final scene in the book is at McCourt's father's funeral in Belfast. His mother, Angela, has already died, and his estranged father is the last immediate family he has left in Ireland. As Frank and his youngest brother Alphie travel to Belfast for the funeral, they close an era marked by the gradual migration of the McCourt family to America. The two McCourt brothers are returning to their homeland, now no longer the primary residence of members of their family. This is opposite to the beginning of the book, where Frank McCourt travels on his own to New York, not knowing anybody. The journeys inbetween, particularly that of Frank McCourt, show the migration of a family, through hard work, not only to a new country, but to a much better social and economic standing.
Independant Reading Blog#4: 'Tis - Figurative Speech
Figurative speech is used in Frank McCourt's book 'Tis, however, it is used lightly. There is one simile that is repeated throughout the book, and is important to our understanding of McCourt as a character. The phrase he uses to describe his eyes, "like two piss holes in the snow", gives you a very vivid image of a yellow, crusty ring around his eyes, as there might be yellow-tinted snow left around a hole in a snow bank after hit by a stream of urine. His eyes are what causes him trouble throughout his life, and he is left to deal with the stigma of poor eyes and bad teeth.
There is also repetition of phrases throughout the novel to tie it together. Phrases such as "eyes like two piss holes in the snow", and "stick to your own" are to be found throughout the book, and bring the story together at points, uniting some of the themes.
There is also repetition of phrases throughout the novel to tie it together. Phrases such as "eyes like two piss holes in the snow", and "stick to your own" are to be found throughout the book, and bring the story together at points, uniting some of the themes.
Independant Reading Blog#3: 'Tis - Tone
Because of his impoverished upbringing in New York and the lanes of Limerick, his father's abandonement of their family, and the stigma attached to his eye and dental problems, Frank McCourt's tone rightfully is often resentful, and occasionally angry or vengeful. These emotions come through in him most often in the book when he is drunk, or emotionally upset.
McCourt's tone is also confused, towards the beginning of the book. The book starts off with him as an eight-teen year old boy arriving in New York, and from there finding his way in the world. Naturally, having just arrived in an unfamiliar country and not being sure of how things work, McCourt would be confused, as anybody else would be. Throughout the book, however, his tone becomes more and more confidant and adult, and less and less angry and childish.
Another emotion McCourt "experiences", a little too frequently perhaps, is love. He is often chasing after women, and Alberta "Mike" Small, one of his girlfriends, figures prominently in his life. When he gets frustrated with women, it will show in his tone. He might start describing things with added use of swearing, or repeating things like he does when he's angry.
He also experiences a sort of fatherly love with Horace, the black man he works with at Port Warehouses. This comes through differently as well, as he speaks fondly of Horace, even saying that he wishes he'd had Horace for a father.
McCourt's tone is also confused, towards the beginning of the book. The book starts off with him as an eight-teen year old boy arriving in New York, and from there finding his way in the world. Naturally, having just arrived in an unfamiliar country and not being sure of how things work, McCourt would be confused, as anybody else would be. Throughout the book, however, his tone becomes more and more confidant and adult, and less and less angry and childish.
Another emotion McCourt "experiences", a little too frequently perhaps, is love. He is often chasing after women, and Alberta "Mike" Small, one of his girlfriends, figures prominently in his life. When he gets frustrated with women, it will show in his tone. He might start describing things with added use of swearing, or repeating things like he does when he's angry.
He also experiences a sort of fatherly love with Horace, the black man he works with at Port Warehouses. This comes through differently as well, as he speaks fondly of Horace, even saying that he wishes he'd had Horace for a father.
Independant Reading Blog#2: 'Tis - Diction
McCourt's diction in his memoir 'Tis is similar to his style in many respects. His choice of words is fairly simple, almost layman like, and yet he succeeds in describing with colour the events occurring in his book. There are no, or very few, "big words" in 'Tis. In the book, McCourt talks about having to look up "big words" like existenialism and bubkes. Again, this is probably intentional, and meant to reflect McCourt's simple upbringing and minimal education before attending NYU.
McCourt does, however, exhibit a knowledge of many types of slang, ranging from Irish cussing to Italian sayings. The different styles of slang, or use of specific words by certain characters, often associates them with one of the various groups McCourt comes across in his life. The Irish-American dock workers speak one way, while the NYU students speak another, and the men in the American Army speak yet another. This helps add to the feel of the novel, giving each character a twist of their own, adding to their identity.
McCourt does, however, exhibit a knowledge of many types of slang, ranging from Irish cussing to Italian sayings. The different styles of slang, or use of specific words by certain characters, often associates them with one of the various groups McCourt comes across in his life. The Irish-American dock workers speak one way, while the NYU students speak another, and the men in the American Army speak yet another. This helps add to the feel of the novel, giving each character a twist of their own, adding to their identity.
Independant Reading Blog #1: 'Tis - Style
Frank McCourt, author of 'Tis, was brought up in the poverty of 1930's and '40s Limerick, with only a limited eductaion available to him. That fact is intentionally evident in the style in which his book is written. McCourt's writing is simple, almost child-like, with little and "improper" use of puncuation. Yet it is very descriptive, getting across very vivid images in the simplest language. In that sense, it is probably very like Irish storytellers that McCourt remembers as a child, among them his father.
McCourt's sentences are often ungainly in length, and occasionally awkwardly phrased, sometimes recquiring a second read through. He also repeats phrases or sentences within certain sections. This usually happens when he is feeling intense emotions, like anger or shame, or when he is drunk.
For example, he often lists the many troubles that are making him mad, and then repeats them while explaining that no one would care about or understand, his problems. This is an easy method to use in order to get the reader to remember a certain phrase(s) which will tie the book together at different points.
In the end, McCourt's style, though simple, is very effective, and contributes to the unique feel of the story.
McCourt's sentences are often ungainly in length, and occasionally awkwardly phrased, sometimes recquiring a second read through. He also repeats phrases or sentences within certain sections. This usually happens when he is feeling intense emotions, like anger or shame, or when he is drunk.
For example, he often lists the many troubles that are making him mad, and then repeats them while explaining that no one would care about or understand, his problems. This is an easy method to use in order to get the reader to remember a certain phrase(s) which will tie the book together at different points.
In the end, McCourt's style, though simple, is very effective, and contributes to the unique feel of the story.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Too Bad About Mrs. Ferri
It's not every child you run into who grew up next-door to a big-shot comedian, and whose parents had no qualms about making demands in a mob restaurant, with the owner (and friends) present. August Kleinzahler was one of these, however. The way he makes his experiences seem genuinely eight-year-old-ish is through the content of his memories, as well as the fact that he doesn't try and make it look as if he knew better than he did at the time. No eight-year-old would. For example, when Mr. Anastasia, August's friend's dad, and a local mob capo, gets assinated, Augusts' mother tells him that Mr. Anastasia "got very, very sick" and that "Gloriana and her mommy are to have to go away for a while." Also, a lot of what is often remembered is what other people, usually older than he is, are telling him. For example, when his mother informs him of Mr. Anastasia's "illness", or when Buddy Hackett told him "Fuck you, kid; talk to my agent." He has many memories of people talking to him, but not many of him speaking, Buddy Hackett episode excluded. This is probably true of most people, because when you're a kid, up to a certain age, most of what goes on in your world either happens in your head, or is your observation of something else. You might comment on your observations to those present, but your not usually articulate enough for it to make much sense.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Dog, The Family: A Household Tale
Most people have parents. In fact, everybody has parents. However, when your parents don't take any interest in you, they tend to become not so much parents, as people you have to live with. This was the case for August Kleinzahler, whose recent memoire "Cutty, One Rock", was very well received by critics nationwide. Kleinzahler, born in New Jersey in 1949, was raised in a family that was far less than caring. His parents openly told him he was a mistake, and chose not to have any part in his early upbringing, leaving him in the responsibility of the family dog and their Czech housekeeper. After firing Christine, the housekeeper, his did mother decided to take some part in the rearing of her youngest child, but probably only because her husband would have nothing to do with raising children. The first thing Kleinzahler's mother did: try to get rid of her son's thick Czech accent, a result of being completely ignored by his parents and taken in, in his own home, by Christine.
The dog, Granny, however, played an even larger role in Kleinzahler's early years than the housekeeper. Granny was his only playmate, his only friend. His brother and sister were never there for him. His sister was constantly studying Latin behind her locked bedroom door, while his brother was either found in the basement, putting together model airplanes, or outside in an apple tree, but certainly not with Augustus. Everyone seemed to ignore Augustus Kleinzahler in his childhood. If they weren't ignoring him, they were making fun of him. His great aunt called him "dog-boy", his mother never let him forget his accent, teasing him about it years later by immitating him. His father, meanwhile, completely ignored his children. All in all, Kleinzahler's does not seem like a good, or even a normal childhood.
The mood for the entire piece is, I believe set up by the first sentence, "It was the dog who raised me". That does not bode well for the cheeriness factor throughout the rest of the book, and the second sentence does nothing to lighten the tone, "Oh, the others came and went with their nurturing gestures and concerns, but it was the dog on whose ear I teethed and who watched over me with the sagacity and bearing of a Ugandan tribal chief". I did thouroughly enjoy the first chapter though.
The dog, Granny, however, played an even larger role in Kleinzahler's early years than the housekeeper. Granny was his only playmate, his only friend. His brother and sister were never there for him. His sister was constantly studying Latin behind her locked bedroom door, while his brother was either found in the basement, putting together model airplanes, or outside in an apple tree, but certainly not with Augustus. Everyone seemed to ignore Augustus Kleinzahler in his childhood. If they weren't ignoring him, they were making fun of him. His great aunt called him "dog-boy", his mother never let him forget his accent, teasing him about it years later by immitating him. His father, meanwhile, completely ignored his children. All in all, Kleinzahler's does not seem like a good, or even a normal childhood.
The mood for the entire piece is, I believe set up by the first sentence, "It was the dog who raised me". That does not bode well for the cheeriness factor throughout the rest of the book, and the second sentence does nothing to lighten the tone, "Oh, the others came and went with their nurturing gestures and concerns, but it was the dog on whose ear I teethed and who watched over me with the sagacity and bearing of a Ugandan tribal chief". I did thouroughly enjoy the first chapter though.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Gr.12 - Blog #1: THe Glass Castle
MSNBC has a collection of characters from all different backgrounds working in their offices, and Jeannette Walls is one of them. Walls and her siblings were raised in poverty by their free-thinking parents, and she has now written a memoire about her childhood, which she has entitled The Glass Castle. In her book, the manner of her upbringing is reflected in the style of her writing: simple, yet colourful, and to the point. However, poor is one thing Walls' writing most certainly is not!
Conveyed to us through the memories displayed in The Glass Castle is the frank and somewhat removed tone of an author who might once have been intensely embarassed by what they are writing. I imagine it would have been excrutiatingly difficult for Ms. Walls to accept her parents as they were, and feel secure enough in herself to write a book about being raised in poverty. This comes through in the tone of her book, and makes it quite humble. She doesn't try to make you feel sorry for her, she just tells the stories as they are.
For an American, and an MSNBC employee, Walls' diction is fantastic. It's simple and to the point, which I think reflects her upbringing. She doesn't try to use extravagant vocabulary to spice up her stories, because then the stories wouldn't fit the characters, who were plain, simple people. "We'd have to be out of our minds to want to trade places with any of them," Walls' father says when talking about city people and the way they live. That easy-going, kind, simpleness bred into Walls from a young age is evident in her writing.
Conveyed to us through the memories displayed in The Glass Castle is the frank and somewhat removed tone of an author who might once have been intensely embarassed by what they are writing. I imagine it would have been excrutiatingly difficult for Ms. Walls to accept her parents as they were, and feel secure enough in herself to write a book about being raised in poverty. This comes through in the tone of her book, and makes it quite humble. She doesn't try to make you feel sorry for her, she just tells the stories as they are.
For an American, and an MSNBC employee, Walls' diction is fantastic. It's simple and to the point, which I think reflects her upbringing. She doesn't try to use extravagant vocabulary to spice up her stories, because then the stories wouldn't fit the characters, who were plain, simple people. "We'd have to be out of our minds to want to trade places with any of them," Walls' father says when talking about city people and the way they live. That easy-going, kind, simpleness bred into Walls from a young age is evident in her writing.
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