Though adolescent years are always awkward transitions from dependence to independence, Jeannette’s transition is driven by the contradiction between her love for her family and her developing embarrassment towards the family’s lifestyle and choices. Older than Jeannette, Lori is recognizing that homelessness is not something to be romanticized.

Conversely, while Jeannette gazes at the stars, Lori offers the stark contrast to her young sister’s starry-eyed wonder. Her use of the word “lucky” illustrates that she isn’t merely searching for a bright side to the situation this is a real adventure for Jeannette, or at least she has thoroughly convinced herself so. Her strong bond with her father is apparent, seeing as she fully believes that their misfortune is all “planned.” She is still so dependent on family that she is blind to the facade of adventure that masks the reality of hardship. Jeannette is not stopping to think about how they don’t have pillows, money, or even a place to sleep at night instead, she perpetuates the serene image of sleeping under the stars and connecting with nature. ‘I think we’re going to,’ she said” (18). ‘We could live like this forever,’ I said.

Describing one desert night, she recounts, “…we slept under the stars…Dad said that was part of his plan…I told Lori how lucky we were to be sleeping out under the sky like Indians. For the Walls, coping with extreme poverty, haphazard relocation, and virtual homelessness is pretending that their life is an “incredibly fun adventure” (Walls 85), and for young Jeannette, the mere concept of “adventure” is more than enough to eliminate many of her worries about their uncertain lifestyle.

Lori the glass castle