Adaptation

Adapting is an important aspect to understand and take part of while growing up, but also during everyday life. Many different people and customs are around us constantly and without adaption skills, we might suffer in understanding what is best for us and our family. The narrator in “The Third and Final Country” and Twinkle from “This Blessed House” both show an exceptional skill of adaptability that helped them flourish in their new lifestyles in America. Unlike these two characters, Rex Walls from “The Glass Castle” showed his unwillingness to adapt to new environments and situations causing many dilemmas in the Walls family.

The Narrator in “The Third and Final Country” showed that he was very open to adapting to a new lifestyle in America and turned it into a positive experience. He even helped his wife adapt to the American culture pretty well using his prior experiences. An example of this was “In the end I bought a small carton of milk and a box of cornflakes. This was my first meal in America” (Page 178). This is him opening up to American food and trying new things. He would continue to eat this even when he was with his wife showing that he was okay with the transition to American foods and wanted to share that experience with her as well. By the end of the story the narrator had made his first real American acquaintance or even his first friend since his arrival to the United States. “As stunned as I was, I knew what I had to say. With no hesitation at all, I cried out, “Splendid! (Page 194)”. Making a new friend or becoming comfortable with someone is often times the hardest part of adapting to a new place and it is obvious the narrator had a friendship with Mrs. Croft. Both of these quotes show important aspects of positive adaption that the Narrator showed in “The Third and Final Country”. I believe the Narrator was a prime example of how adapting to new places and people can be challenging at first, but with time and effort it is possible to grow into a new environment.

Another example of a successful adaption story was Twinkle in “This Blessed House”. Twinkle was eager to embrace change and was not bothered by the differences of the newfound Christianity symbolism in her and Sanjeev’s house. She also adapted to meeting new people and becoming friendly with many of Sanjeev’s peers, who Sanjeev had a difficult time connecting with. When Twinkle’s husband, Sanjeev, questions having symbols of Christ in their home, Twinkle can be quoted saying “No, were not Christian. We are good little Hindus.” “She planted a kiss on top of Christs head, then placed the statue on top of the fireplace mantel (Page 137)”. This showed that Twinkle was okay with not being Christian, but at the same time she was also showcasing a new culture she might have admired while adapting to American customs. When Sanjeev and Twinkle decided to throw a housewarming party, they invited many of Sanjeevs business peers. Although Twinkle did not know of these people, she was much more talkitive and herself with these people than Sanjeev. On page 154 of “This Blessed House” Twinkle shows how comfortable she is with exploring new things with new people. “We’ve neer explored the attic” Twinkle announced suddenly, and so everybody followed”. This led to a search party in the attic and eventually finding another piece of Chritian symbolism. Twinkle showed how adapting to new environments can be a positive experience.

The Narrator and Twinkle are what positive adaption looks like and how it can lead to a more prosperous life. On the opposite spectrum of this is Rex Walls from “The Glass Castle”. Rex was very stubborn and did not adapt to what his family needed or what would be best for everyone. His constant refusal to change his ways and become something new and better led to the downfall of the Walls family. One point in the book, Rex did not and would not adapt to a new life “I wondered if [Dad] was remembering how he, too, had left Welch full of vinegar at age seventeen and just as convinced as I was now that he’d never return (Page 241)”. This showed that he never initially wanted to return to the place he grew up in but due to his stubborn ways of not growing into his new environment he was stuck going back. Another detrimental characteristic of Rex was his heavy drinking. “I wonder what life will be like now,” I said to Lori. “The same,” she said. “[Dad] tried stopping before, but it never lasted (Page 118)”.  Rex Walls said he would give up drinking for the good of Jeannette and the family but he was never able to let go of his addiction. His heavy drinking hurt the family and he knew this, but he kept drinking anyways. It is obvious to see how poorly Rex adapted to his new life style which consisted of being a father, being able to keep a job, and doing what was right for his own family.

After reading these three different stories it is evident that adaption to new cultures and life circumstances is an important skill you need to have. All three of these characters mentioned stood out from the others because of their high level, or lack of adaptability. The Narrator and Twinkle both showcased a high level of adaptability which led to an increased happiness and understanding of their own lives, while Rex Walls did not adapt to his new life, ultimately causing his own children to separate from the family for their own good. The knowledge gained from these stories can certainly give us more of a reason to be open to new things and not be afraid of new people and circumstances.

                        

 

 

 

Works Cited

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies: Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Print.

 

Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. New York: Scribner, 2005. Print.