UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA ABSTRACT The purpose of this work is to give people an idea about how Jeannette Wall`s best works have contributed to humanity. The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses have valuable messages for us. It is important to understand that these works can enrich our understanding of humanity and increase our knowledge because they portray human experiences with respect to love, family, and ambition, among other themes. The First Chapter of this thesis deals with Jeannette Walls’s personal growth, her family, and her career. Her life and her works are extremely interesting and important subjects to be studied, analyzed, and admired. The Second Chapter is a theoretical framework concerning the Novel and different types of biography. The selected works considered here are from different categories; one of them is a novel and the other one is a memoir. A memoir is the story of someone's life at a specific time. On the other hand, a memoir isn't exactly an autobiography, because an autobiography is about the author's life. A memoir, in contrast, is about a certain point in the author`s life. ESPINEL CRISTINA 1 UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA The Third Chapter presents an analysis of Jeannette Walls´ most important works, The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses. This chapter covers the most important characters of the works, the time place and concrete situations of the environment in which the characters spin out their destinies. A brief chronology of the events of each book will be given. Finally, the last chapter gives us a deeper idea about the importance of these two works for English literature; that is, to understand valuable messages that can enrich our understanding of humanity and increase our knowledge of the world. KEY-WORDS: Novel, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, The Glass Castle, Half Broke Horses, Jeannette Walls' life. ESPINEL CRISTINA 2 UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. 3 AUTHORIZATION ............................................................................................................ 6 A U T H O R S H I P ........................................................................................................ 7 COVER .............................................................................................................................. 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................. 9 DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 11 1. Chapter I: A Short Biography of Jeannette Walls .............................................. 12 1.1. Jeannette Walls' life ....................................................................................... 12 1.1.1. Early life ................................................................................................... 13 1.1.2. Early Career ............................................................................................ 14 1.2. Her family......................................................................................................... 15 2. Chapter II: Types of Biography ............................................................................ 17 2.1. Novel ................................................................................................................ 17 2.1.1. Types ........................................................................................................ 18 2.2. Types of Biography ........................................................................................ 22 2.2.1. Autobiography ......................................................................................... 22 2.2.2. Biography ................................................................................................. 22 2.2.3. Memoir ..................................................................................................... 22 2.2.3.1. The Age of Memoir ......................................................................... 23 2.2.3.2. Definition of Memoir ....................................................................... 24 2.2.3.3. Characteristic of a Memoir Form .................................................. 24 2.2.3.3.1. The Nature of Memoir ............................................................... 25 ESPINEL CRISTINA 3 UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA 2.2.3.3.2. Types of Memoir ........................................................................ 25 3. Chapter III: Analysis of the selected work .......................................................... 28 3.1. Analysis of The Glass Castle........................................................................ 28 3.1.1. A Brief Chronology of the Events in The Glass Castle ..................... 29 3.1.2. Setting of The Glass Castle .................................................................. 99 3.1.2.1. Place ..................................................................................................... 99 3.1.2.2. Time ...................................................................................................... 99 3.1.2.3. Weather conditions ............................................................................ 99 3.1.2.4. Social conditions ............................................................................... 100 3.1.2.5. Mood or atmosphere ........................................................................ 100 3.1.3. Plot .......................................................................................................... 101 3.1.3.1. The Author’s style ............................................................................. 107 3.1.3.2. Rising Action ..................................................................................... 108 3.1.3.3. Falling Action ..................................................................................... 108 3.1.4. Conflict ................................................................................................... 109 3.1.4.1. Protagonists ...................................................................................... 109 3.1.4.2. Antagonists ........................................................................................ 109 3.1.4.3. Climax ................................................................................................ 109 3.1.4.4. Outcome ............................................................................................ 110 3.1.5. Characters ............................................................................................. 110 3.1.6. Point of View ......................................................................................... 119 3.1.7. Theme .................................................................................................... 119 3.2. Analysis of Half Broke Horses .................................................................... 120 3.2.1. A Brief Chronology of the Events in Half Broke Horses ................. 121 3.2.2. Setting .................................................................................................... 162 ESPINEL CRISTINA 4 UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA 3.2.2.1. Place ................................................................................................... 162 3.2.2.2. Time .................................................................................................... 162 3.2.2.3. Weather conditions .......................................................................... 163 3.2.2.4. Social conditions ............................................................................... 163 3.2.2.5. Mood or atmosphere ........................................................................ 163 3.2.3. Plot .......................................................................................................... 163 3.2.3.1. The Author’s style ............................................................................. 165 3.2.3.2. Rising Action ..................................................................................... 166 3.2.3.3. Falling Action ..................................................................................... 166 3.2.4. Conflict ................................................................................................... 167 3.2.4.1. Protagonist ........................................................................................ 167 3.2.4.2. Antagonist .......................................................................................... 167 3.2.4.3. Climax ................................................................................................ 167 3.2.4.4. Outcome ............................................................................................ 168 3.2.5. Characters ............................................................................................. 168 3.2.5.1. Point of View ..................................................................................... 172 3.2.5.2. Theme ................................................................................................ 173 4. Chapter IV: Analysis of the selected works and Wall´s