For the assigned memoir I read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Many things go wrong for Jeanette throughout the entire book. But, she learned so many lessons throughout all the bumps in the road of life. As I was reading I also learned that sometimes what seems like the smallest things or people can make the most impact. The Glass Castle is about a girl named Jeanette with an alcoholic father, artistic insane mother and no real place that she could call her home. With almost no food or education Jeanette and her siblings learn to work with almost nothing.

One place in the book when Jeanette learned that small things can have the most impact was with money. Her father would always ask her to borrow money she had saved from her piggy bank that she had collected. She would always give it to his because he was her father, but he would use it for cigarettes and alcohol. She kept giving him one more chance. But soon enough all of the money was gone. For example on page 209.

“I don’t need much. Just five dollars.” Dad said.
The smallest amount of money each time that her father asked from her added up and made a gap in her heart. It made more of an impact than she ever expected. Jeanette learned from this that the smallest things can make the most impact. Jeanette also learned that she couldn’t trust her father as much as she wanted to.

Another place in The Glass Castle when Jeanette Walls learned that sometimes small things can have a big impact was when her family had no food in the refrigerator. The only thing that they had was margarine. All the children were going hungry. But, the margarine wasn’t something that they could eat, but it was all they had. For example on page 68.

“Lori what are you eating?” I asked.

“Margarine,” she said.

I wrinkled my nose. “Really?”

“Yeah,” she said. “ If you mix it with sugar it tastes just like frosting.”

So the children ate it. The margarine was such a small thing but after they ate it, it had an impact on them. One helpful way and one not so helpful way. One was that they now weren’t hungry. But the other was that they now knew that they were poor because they knew that margarine wasn’t real food.

One other reason how Jeanette Walls learned that sometimes what seems like the smallest of people can have the most impact was when she met the nurse with the wavy hair and blue eye shadow when she was burned. One day, the nurse was chewing something; Jeanette learned that it was chewing gum. That same nurse brought Jeanette chewing gum and meals whenever they were needed. Jeanette learned what it was like to feel happy and taken care of.

For example on page 12 Jeanette wrote,” I would be happy staying in the hospital forever.”
Jeanette grew from this because that one nurse showed her what it felt like to feel safe and secure. Which was a great impact on someone that was only three years old.

In the book The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls both Jeanette and I both learned that sometimes what seems like the smallest person on thing can have a great impact. I think that this theme applies to all people. Why don’t the things that seem to matter the most make a great impact?