114B Journal Question January 30

The first story Walls tells of her childhood is that of her burning herself severely at age three, and her father dramatically takes her from the hospital: "You're safe now" (p. 14). Why do you think she opens with that story, and how does it set the stage for the rest of the memoir?

 I think she opens with this story of her childhood to give the audience a look at her father and to show what kind of man he is. In this story we can see one of two things. Either her family was very poor and her father couldn't afford to pay for her to go to the hospital or her father did not trust hospitals at all. The one thing Jeannette points out is her father saying "You're safe now" (p. 14) and this shows that she has faith in her father and trusts in him.