Her parents would argue, sing, laugh, and make a general ruckus that earned admonishments from the staff. Whenever Jeannette’s family came to visit, they were loud and unruly. She said she was cut and bruised from playing outside and that she always cooked hot dogs. They asked if her parents hurt her, where her other cuts and bruises came from, and why she was cooking by herself. The hospital staff questioned Jeannette about her injuries. Jeannette sustained severe burns on one side of her chest, and the doctors performed skin grafts using skin from her thighs. It was paradise. In The Glass Castle, fire led to this positive experience for Jeannette. One of the nurses even gave Jeannette her first piece of gum. She was given three meals a day and ice cream, Jell-O, or fruit cocktail for dessert. They were impressed with how well she could read. Sometimes, she’d pass the time reading to the nurses. She’d also never watched TV before and spent most of her time watching old sitcoms, like The Lucille Ball Show.

She loved having her own room and the cleanliness and quiet. Life was so good at the hospital compared to home, Jeannette never wanted to leave. Rose Mary put the flames out with a blanket and calmly asked their neighbor to drive them to the hospital. The bottom edge of Jeannette’s dress brushed up against the flames and consumed one side of her body. The only other person home was her little brother. Her mother was usually consumed with painting, as she was now in the next room. She did it often as the only means of having something to eat. She had to stand on a chair to reach the pot. Jeannette was wearing a pink party dress and stirring hot dogs in boiling water. Her family, which included Rose Mary her father, Rex older sister, Lori, and younger brother, Brian, lived in a trailer in southern Arizona. Jeannette’s earliest memory is the day she caught on fire when she was three years old. In The Glass Castle, fire is an important part of Jeannette’ memory.

Read more about The Glass Castle, fire, and Jeannette Walls’ life. As a young child, she has an accident with fire that sparks her interest, and has several other encounters that threaten her life. In The Glass Castle, fire is both a frequent danger and a lifelong fascination for Jeanette Walls. What is The Glass Castle fire chapter about? How did her incident with fire shape Jeannette?

Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of 'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls.

The glass castle brian