When analyzing the symbolism in the Glass Castle, it would be appropriate to start with the major symbol: The Glass Castle. The Glass Castle represents hope and a bright future. The fact that Rex Walls never achieved the goal of building his dream house shows how much he needed to overcome his alcoholism and paranoia. Even though the glass is unstable, it symbolizes how Rex Walls wanted an unattainable lifestyle. It was a lifestyle that could collapse at any moment. Other symbols that represent Jeanette's transition to adulthood are fire, the Joshua tree, and independence. Fire is an important symbol in The Glass Castle because it is the symbol of Jeanette's first memory of getting burned while cooking hot dogs at the age of three. . Even though she was badly burned, she became fascinated by it. Her father who threw her into the hot pool says she got burned because she is fascinated by fire because it is unstable and unpredictable. In the memoir, fire and his father are paralleled because they are dangerous. I think she associates fire with disappointment...