The Light at the End of the Tunnel (KRISTY)
“Things usually work out in the end. /What if they don't? /That just means you haven't come to the end yet.”Optimism affirms our faith in the human spirit; Jeanette along with her siblings, Brian and Lori, always looked for the brighter future past their deficient and poverty-stricken life driven by their parents, Rex and Rosemary Walls.
Rex Walls, Jeannette’s alcoholic father has brought hope yet despair to Janette’s life. Due to his rough childhood with his parents, Rex desired to become a good parent and to aspire others; Thus inspiring his children with the ideal future of the ‘glass castle’. As he attempts to change the outcome of his children, his past returns rendering his attempts useless and turns him to alcoholism. While Jeannette was in charge of the money, she subjected to her dad’s pleas for money for his own uses because she still had believed in her dad and their ideas before Rex turned to alcohol. Rex took Jeannette to a local bar where he gambled with a man and even allowed the strange man to take her upstairs and violate her. This causes the trust for her father inside to Jeannette to crumble as she realizes Rex doesn’t think much of what happens to her if it’s not actual ‘harm’. Same with Erma’s molestation of Brian, Rex scolds the children instead and it’s seen how Rex’s past engulfs his present self. As Rex disregards the family’s wellbeing, Lori and Jeanette set off to save money to change their own future.
Rex and Rosemary’s mad-dashes into the night constantly affect the family’s wellbeing. The parents are unwilling to take responsibility for their children’s futures and let life take them whenever it wants to. Rosemary refuses to get a job because her painting is more important and on the other hand, Rex is on and off jobs while struggling to fight his alcohol addiction. Rosemary and Rex’s decisions put the family in danger at all times of poverty and hunger as they run from debts and refuse to accept help. The family is to start anew