Puzzle Paragraph #2

While other might say that The VideoTape by Don DeLillo is a piece about the “Texas Highway Killer”; Jeannette Walls might find the perspective of the young girl most intriguing. Walls is a well known writer from her memoir, The Glass Castle. Throughout her book, she recalls her struggle to grow up in a household with very incompetent parents. With her dad out gambling in casinos, and her mom attempting to hold a steady  job as an artist, she had to learn how to raise herself. Trying to find a balance between adulthood and trying to be a normal kid ultimately resulted in bullies profiling Jeannette as a “lone ranger.” However, “The Videotape,” and “The Glass Castle,”  have many themes in common. Just as Don Delillo explores the intense fascination we have with death, Jeannette Walls explores her own childhood fascination with fire. For example, burning her barbie dolls at a young age. Although these themes are very violent, they both prove that the basic human curiosity with seemingly dangerous subject matter is only natural. Furthermore, both pieces incorporate the innocence of a young girl being stripped away. Whether witnessing a murder or being abandoned, both authors accurately depict the effects trauma can have on a child’s identity and well being.