Question

the glass castle: “the hot pot” (excerpt)
our house in battle mountain was filled with animals. they came and went, stray dogs and cats, their puppies and kittens, non - poisonous snakes, and lizards and tortoises we caught in the desert. a coyote seemed pretty tame lived with us for a while, and once dad brought home a wounded buzzard that we named buster. he was the ugliest pet we ever owned. whenever he fed buster scraps of meat, turned his head sideways and stared at us out of one angry looking yellow eye. then hed scream and frantically flap his good wing. i was secretly glad when his hurt wing healed and he flew away. every time we saw buzzards circling overhead, dad would say that he recognized buster among them and that he was coming back to thank us. but i knew buster would never even consider returning. that buzzard didnt have an ounce of gratitude in him.
we couldnt afford pet food, so the animals had to eat our leftovers, and there usually wasnt much. “if they dont like it, they can leave,” said mom. “just because they live here doesnt mean im going to wait on them hand and foot.” mom told us that we were actually doing the animals a favor by not allowing them to become dependent on us. that way, if we ever had to leave, theyd be able to get by on their own. mom liked to encourage self - sufficiency in all living creatures.
mom also believed in letting nature take its course. she refused to kill the flies that always filled the house; she said they were natures food for the birds and lizards. and the birds and lizards were food for the cats. “kill the flies and you starve the cats,” she said. letting the flies live, in her view, was the same as buying cat food, only cheaper.
one day i was visiting my friend carla when i noticed that her house didnt have any flies. i asked her mother why.
she pointed toward a shiny gold contraption dangling from the ceiling, which she proudly identified as a shell nopest strip. she said it could be bought at the filling station and that her family had one in every room. the nopest strips, she explained, released a poison that killed all the flies.
“what do your lizards eat?” i asked.
“we dont have any lizards, either,” she said.
i went home and told mom we needed to get a nopest strip like carlas family, but she refused. “if it kills the flies,” she said, “it cant be very good for us.”

he did it again and again, until the realization that he was rescuing me only to throw me back into the water took hold, and so, rather than reaching for dads hands, i tried to get away from them. i kicked at him and pushed away through the water with my arms, and finally, i was able to propel myself beyond his grasp.
“youve doing it, baby!” dad shouted. “youre swimming!”
i staggered out of the water and sat on the calcified rocks, my chest heaving. dad came out of the water, too, and tried to hug me, but i wouldnt have anything to do with him, or with mom, whod been floating on her back as if nothing were happening, or with brian and lori, who gathered around and were congratulating me. dad kept telling me that he loved me, that he never would have let me drown, but you cant cling to the side your whole life, that one lesson every parent needs to teach a child is, “if you dont want to sink, you better figure out how to swim.” what other reason, he asked, would possibly make him do this?
once i got my breath back, i figured he must be right. there was no other way to explain it.

the glass castle: “the hot pot” reading questions

1. jeannette says that her mom, rose mary, “liked to encourage self - sufficiency in all creatures” by not giving the wild animals much to eat. do you agree with rose mary? why or why not?
2. why do you think that jeannette suggests to her mother that they get a nopest strip after she sees them in her friend carlas house? what does this show us about jeannette?
3. the hot pot was a natural sulfur spring in the desert north of town, surrounded by craggy rocks and quicksand. the water was warm to the touch and smelled like rotten eggs. it was full of minerals that rough, chalky encrustations had built up along the edges, like a coral reef.

what mood is the author trying to create in this description of the “hot pot”? how do you know?

1. what lesson does rex walls think that he is teaching jeannette in the hot pot? what lesson do you think that jeannette is actually learning, based on what she says and does?
2. do you think that children should be allowed to be in risky situations in order to learn about life? why or why not?

Explanation:

1. Regarding the first question, one could consider the pros and cons of self - sufficiency in animals. For example, it can be seen as a natural way of life, but also may seem harsh.
2. For the second question, Jeanette's suggestion shows her desire for a more pest - free environment and her impressionability.
3. In the third question, the description of the "Hot Pot" with its warm, smelly, and mineral - filled qualities creates a somewhat primitive and perhaps slightly uncomfortable mood.
4. For the fourth question, Rex may think he is teaching Jeanette to swim and be independent, while Jeanette may be learning about trust and fear.
5. The fifth question requires a consideration of the balance between safety and learning through experience.

Answer:

1. Answers may vary. One could agree that it allows animals to be self - sufficient in the wild. Disagreeing could be based on the idea that it is cruel to not provide enough food.
2. Jeanette suggests getting a NoPest strip because she wants a cleaner, less bug - filled home like her friend's. This shows she is observant and desires a more comfortable living situation.
3. The mood is primitive and slightly uncomfortable. The warm, smelly water and rough encrustations contribute to this.
4. Rex thinks he is teaching swimming and independence. Jeanette may be learning about facing her fears and the unreliability of her father's actions.
5. Answers may vary. Some may say yes as it can lead to valuable life lessons, while others may say no due to safety concerns.