Rex
How is Jeannette conflicted in supporting her dad?
"Mom never told Dad that I'd urged her to leave him. That summer he still thought of me as his biggest supporter, and given that there was so little competition for the job, I probably was."
What does Ernie do that ostracizes the children
“Go on home to the garbage dump!”
What details suggest that the Walls children are neglected?
“The hole in the ceiling and the disgusting yellow bucket in the kitchen.”
What does Mom promise to do after the investigator’s visit?
“I'll get a job, Jeannette.”
Find a detail that reveals a character’s feelings indirectly.
“I was so furious that I ran up the hillside and started hurling rocks.”
What shows that Jeannette and Rex are still close?
“We were both hysterical, lying on our backs, tears running down our cheeks.”
How does the town’s pool reflect racial segregation?
“All the black people swam in the morning ... and all the white people swam in the afternoon.”
Why does Jeannette lie to the child-welfare investigator?
“I don't think Mom and Dad would want me talking to you without them here.”
Why does Jeannette initially feel hopeful about Mom’s new job?
“Now Mom got paid about seven hundred dollars a month.”
What might Mom’s painting reveal about her state of mind?
“Mom was painting a picture of a woman drowning in a stormy lake.”
Why is Rex’s claim that their house is “safest” ironic?
“In case of flooding—as we had seen—it was also the safest.”
How does Dinitia’s invitation contrast with Jeannette’s earlier experience?
“Why don't you come swimming with us in the morning?”
Why is Jeannette afraid the investigator will intervene?
“He'd launch an investigation and end up sending me and Brian and Lori and Maureen off to live with different families.”
What does Mom’s spending reveal about her priorities?
“Something we really didn't need—a tasseled silk throw or a cut crystal vase.”
How are Jeannette and her siblings forced to take on adult responsibilities?
“Lori and I did work out a budget.”
How can Jeannette love Rex and still be angry with him?
“He'd sometimes talk about Australia or Alaska, but he never took any action.”
How does Jeannette’s experience at the pool change from beginning to end?
"I'd never felt cleaner"
What does Jeannette’s reaction reveal about her idea of family?
“No way was I going to lose Brian and Lori and Maureen.”
Why does the family continue to struggle after Mom starts working?
“But Mom never turned the money over to us.”
How does the passage show that Mom’s intentions don’t always match her actions?
“I'll get a job, Jeannette.”
“But Mom never turned the money over to us.”