Coming of age happens to everyone and propels individuals into new ways of living, normally due to new found responsibilities. For some it occurs late in life while for others it happens when they are young. The memoir, "The Glass Castle" written by Jeanette Walls, demonstrates how through the lack of a caring family, individuals are forced to take on new roles and responsibilities. Being on the run for the most part of her youth with an alcoholic father and an eccentric mother, a young Jeanette Walls is forced to become a care giver and provider for herself and her three siblings, Lori, Brian and Maureen. Through conflict, characterization and setting the author demonstrates the new roles and responsibilities one must take on to ultimately come of age.The transformation that is associated with coming of age occurs when individuals are able to be accepting and understanding of life events. Throughout the memoir, Jeanettes family life is openly illustrated allowing the habits, behaviours and conflicts of the members to be seen. Through the use of conflict, the author demonstrates how coming of age is associated with taking on new responsibilities. All families experience some sort of turmoil from time to time, the Walls family seems to experience it on a daily basis. When Jeanette's mother leaves to upgrade her degree for eight weeks during the summer, Jeanette pleads to be the one in charge of the household. Her responsibilities include buying groceries and taking care of her siblings (209). However, concealed within the agreement is the fact she is responsible for her father as well. Jeanette's father asks her on numerous occasions to lend him money. Although she is well aware that her father is only using the money to buy beer and cigarettes, she gives in to his demands (210). In previous months, before Jeanette was in charge, she would get angry with her mother and start arguments when she found out that she was allowing her father to steal from the family allowance to get drunk (197). By taking the position of leader of the household she learns how hard it is for her mother to say no to the man she loves, even if she is only impeding the situation. Jeanette might not agree with her father's or her own behaviour but she learns it isn't easy to oppose the demands of someone you love, even if it only hurts them more. After her summer of being in charge she grows wiser and mature because of her understanding of the inner conflict she and her mother feel, the one between giving in to the father's demands and keeping the money to feed themselves. New responsibilities can allow individuals to take a different position on situations and become accepting and understanding of decisions that are made within their lives. Coming of age requires an individual to be aware and to accept new roles and responsibilities as they come along. Through characterization, the author proves that new roles and responsibilities are a necessity of coming of age. Since her youth, Jeanette Walls has always been determined. This attitude must have rubbed off of her father seeing he has always been an influence on her with his visions of becoming a self-made man. With a determined attitude, Jeanette has always been taking on new ambitions. She babysits for money, attempts to paint the outside of her house and even saves up all her earnings to help send her sister away from Welch. Each act of determination demonstrates her true character. Even though she never finishes painting the house, due to the paint freezing and becoming unusable, her character is demonstrated when she helps to get her sister off to New York (158). After her father steals the money they have collected, she starts to save again, this time keeping the money on her person (229). In her early teens, she is forced to think and behave like an adult. She doesnt have time to waste being stuck in a good for nothing town. She uses her brains to think of ways to find freedom from her life in Welch. Unlike the responsibilities of taking care of her siblings or father, she finds her own, the ones necessary to get herself a decent life. Being responsible for herself demonstrates a true coming of age. She is no longer preoccupied by the events of her day to day life but instead has begun to focus on how she should live and who she should be. Coming of age requires that one should accept new roles and responsibilities as they are faced with them.Coming of age requires an individual to be aware and to accept new roles and responsibilities as they come along and to not dwell on past obligations. Through setting the author proves that coming of age requires an acceptance of new roles and responsibilities. Her relocation is a pinnacle moment in her life. Her move to the big city is notably the moment when Jeanette becomes her own person. She finds new responsibilities, leaving aside those that include taking care of her brother, younger sister, mother and father, that require her to become independent and resourceful. However, when her parents join her in her new life she finds herself worrying about her old responsibilities. Her high quality of life makes her feel guilty since both her parents are on the street, [] I have money. Tell me what you need (5). Even with her money and her new life she is uncomfortable because she believes she is the one responsible for the way her parents act and how they decide to live their lives. Only in the end, when she moves to the country with her second husband and his daughter does she accept that her parents are not her responsibility. After years of her parents telling her they were okay, even when they slept on church pews and received meals from soup kitchens, she is able to understand that her parents are happy with their lives, even if they arent considered by most to be of a high quality. No longer in the city, constantly under the scrutinizing eyes of her co-workers and peers does she accept that her parents are who they are. There is nothing she can change. Coming of age requires an individual to be aware and to accept new roles and responsibilities as they come along and to not dwell on past obligations.Jeanette Walls, in her memoir, "The Glass Castle", proves through conflict, characterization and setting that taking on new roles and responsibilities will result in a coming of age. To come of age doesnt happen at any specific time in someones life. It occurs when the individual is able to come to an acceptance and understanding of oneself. Throughout her life she is forced to take on new roles in order to care for her family as well as herself. She struggles to finally understand that her responsibilities dont include taking care of her parents. With this realization she comes of age.2