Like Dad, Mom is a free spirit, who also values self-sufficiency. She has little compassion for people who complain about their situation, as she believes people have the power to make their lives whatever they want it to be. Mom is an artist and spends much of her spare time […]
Read more Character List and Analysis Mom (Rose Mary Walls)Character List and Analysis Dad (Rex Walls)
Dad is a highly intelligent man with a passion for logic. He is a skilled electrician and engineer, and often spends his spare time inventing contraptions he hopes will make the family rich. He is an independent thinker, to the point that he is paranoid of the U.S. government and […]
Read more Character List and Analysis Dad (Rex Walls)Character List and Analysis Jeannette Walls
Jeannette is the narrator of her memoir, telling her story from age three into adulthood. As a child she is adventurous, wild-hearted, and Dad’s favorite. Jeannette, a middle sibling, is closer to younger brother Brian than her older sister Lori: Brian shares Jeannette’s love of the outdoors, while Lori is […]
Read more Character List and Analysis Jeannette WallsBook Summary
Jeannette Walls is riding in a taxi in contemporary New York City, on her way to an event, when she looks out the window and sees her mother digging through trash. Although Mom has been homeless for years, Jeannette feels a sudden sense of shame and gloom about Mom’s life […]
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