Determination Essay

Words: 1021
Pages: 5

Determination
In “The Glass Castle” we see many different possibilities pertaining to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We see the father, Rex and one of the daughters, Maureen, who fall victim to Maslow. Then there’s Jeanette and the mother, Rose Mary who have both seemed to achieve self-actualization regardless of their hardships. Traditionally, Maslow’s Hierarchy is thought to be achieved by working up from the bottom of the pyramid to get to the top. However, in “The Glass Castle” this is not particularly true. All the characters mentioned in this essay lacked safety and security, love and belonging, and psychological needs at some point during the novel. How they handled this though varies. “The Glass Castle” gives you a different view on
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“I’d tried to help them countless times, but dad would insist they didn’t need anything, and mom would ask for something silly, like a perfume atomizer or a membership in a health club. They said they were living the way they wanted to.”(Walls 4) Rose Mary seems to be comfortable with her lifestyle and is still content with it at the end of the book. “After we sat down for dinner, mom told us her good news. She had been a squatter for almost fifteen years, the city had finally decided to sell the apartments to her and the squatters for one dollar apiece.”(Walls 288) Even though Rose Mary isn’t living in luxury, she is happy. And to be happy with where you’re at in life is basically achieving self-actualization. Throughout the four examples I provided it’s clear that you are the writer to your own destiny. It’s about personal strength. The stronger a person you are, the more determined you are to make something of yourself. Unfortunately for Maureen’s’ case, she was too reliant on other people to be able to depend on herself. She was never able to break away and do something with her life, the same goes for her father. Rex did at least try to make his children’s’ life better than his own as a child, but he let his alcohol addiction get in the way of giving his kids, and himself the best life possible. Jeanette and Rose Mary however both managed to become happy, regardless. The Walls family most certainly did not have a