Educational values are a common theme in The Glass Castle film. In their early years, the Walls children do not attend school, and are instead given lessons from their parents. Throughout history the legality of homeschooling in the United States has been heavily debated (Coalition for Responsible Home Education, 2018). Though many parents home school their children for religious reasons, it is clear from the film that Rex Walls wishes to keep his children from the mainstream ideologies.

Education seems to be the answer given to all problems of oppression in North American culture (Alvarado, 2010). In the case of educational disparity between social classes, the answer seems to always focus on how to bring up the education achievement level of those in a lower social class (Gorski, 2011). There is a stereotype, that those of lower income do not value education (Gorski, 2011).  This, while untrue, is a social construct spread by those who have been socialized to believe in the deficit ideology (Gorski, 2011). This stereotype also perpetuates the notion that those with lower socioeconomic status are under-educated (Gorski, 2011). Rex Walls fights against this stereotype; he is an intelligent man, but the social norms do not reflect the way he wants to educate his children. This especially comes to light in the film, when despite Rex’s best efforts, the children begin to ask to go to public school.

Jeannette: Doctor Taylor said stayin’ home and reading books on our own isn’t a well-rounded education.
Rose Mary: Mmm. Really?
Jeannette: He said we should be goin’ to a real school.
Rex: A real school, huh

Myth of Meritocracy

After many years of nomadic life, the film shows the Walls family settling in Welch, West Virginia, where the Wells children attend public school for the first time. The children are under the belief that if they get an education and work hard enough, they can rise above their upbringing. This myth of meritocracy is a common belief in American society (Alvarado, 2010).

Jeannette: We don’t need them. They’re never going to take care of us, so we have to do it ourselves. We’ll all go to school and start saving up, so we can move out when we’re old enough. If we’re going to make it out of this, we have to do it together.

While the Walls children were able to save money from baby sitting, eventually enough for Lori and later Jeannette to leave home and attend college, this is not the way life is for most. The film perpetuates the myth that American society is meritocratic in its systems. North Americans are often in agreeance that intelligence, skill, and effort are rewarded with a successful and lucrative life (Alvarado, 2010). The reality of this is that the social structures of oppression and power make this “American Dream” more difficult than ever to achieve. Often those who get ahead are not the hardest working and the idea that there is a level playing field for all is null in a capitalist society with ever increasing wealth of those with the most power (Gorski, 2011). This was perhaps what Rex Walls was trying to teach his children all along.

Rex: A veteran of the U.S. Air Force brings his little girl in here so you can wrap her in a Band-Aid and hand him a bill for more than a pilot makes in a year. Now, my family won’t eat for three months so that you can drive a Cadillac. You’re part of a system that is gettin’ rich off of the human need to survive, Doc. You call that “proper care”?

References

Alvarado, L. A. (2010). Dispelling the meritocracy myth: Lessons for higher education and student affairs educators. The Vermont Connection, 31, 10-20

Coalition for Responsible Home Education. (2018, October 8). A brief history of homeschooling. Retrieved from http://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-101/a-brief-history-of-homeschooling/

Gorski, P. (2011). Unlearning deficit ideology and the scornful gaze: Thoughts on authenticating the class discourse in education. In R. Ahlquist, P. Gorski, & T. Montaño (Eds.). Assault on Kids: How Hyper-Accountability, Corporatization, Deficit Ideology, and Ruby Payne Are Destroying Our Schools. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Links

Bridge Works. (2015, September 21) The evolution of the American dream. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.generations.com/2015/09/21/the-evolution-of-the-american-dream/

Government of British Columbia (n.d). Homeschooling. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives/homeschooling

Homeschoolcommunity. (2009, November 24). The history of homeschooling. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZ2auMPzbU

Tutor2u. (n.d). Sociology topics: Myth of meritocracy. Retrieved from https://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/topics/myth-of-meritocracy