Student Question
What does Jeannette's fascination with watches symbolize in The Glass Castle?
Quick answer:
Jeannette's fascination with watches symbolizes her desire for a stable and self-sufficient life, contrasting with her chaotic childhood. Watches represent practicality, appointments, and responsibilities—elements of the structured life she aspires to. They also signify wealth and the ability to afford a lifestyle her family lacks. This symbol highlights her longing to break free from her parents' unpredictable decisions and the poverty that defined her upbringing.
Jeannette writes,
Unlike diamonds, watches were practical. They were for people on the run, people with appointments to keep and schedules to meet.
The watch symbolizes the life Jeannette longs for and the goals she has for herself. In its practicality, she sees the hope of a future when she isn't on the run simply because her father needs to make another escape, but because she has obligations and responsibilities. She longs to become self-sufficient and to live a life completely unlike that of her childhood, when even her most cherished possessions are given away by her parents. Watches, especially higher-end ones, signify a certain amount of wealth that her family doesn't have the luxury to afford.
Jeannette sees the watch as a physical representation of the gap between her family's history and the sustainability she aspires to have when she doesn't have to rely on the completely unpredictable and inexplicable choices her parents force on the children throughout their childhoods, always grounding them in a life of poverty.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.