DeParle Article/The Glass Castle Response

In Jason DeParle's article, "Two Classes in America, Divided by 'I Do'", he discusses the prominent influences of marriage on children within family units.While, DeParle investigates the effects of single parenting versus having two parents, his views can still apply to Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle, which depicts a family with two parents. Both pieces show that a couple's relationship and their resulting parenting style has a great effect on their children's individual success. Deparle states that "Sara McLanahan, a Princeton sociologist, warns that family structure increasingly consigns children to 'diverging destinies'"(214). One's personal attributes and tendencies are likely acquired through a parent's raising techniques. As children grow up under the company and discipline of their parents, they tend to emulate them subconsciously. In Jeannette's case, she and her siblings were able to see beyond their parent's rationalizations so as to not repeat their mistakes. Despite their questionable parenting, however, the Walls certainly ingrained valuable life lessons and values in their children. The presence of both parents within the family helped shape the children into who they are.