Answer: Were.
Explanation: When its more than one, you use were is sentences like this, and was when its just one.
In The Glass Castle, the Walls family consists of four children. The oldest one is <em>Lori</em>, who often teams up with Jeanette to help the family. She tries to help them by being realistic, and trying to see the world as it really is. The second one is <em>Jeanette</em>, the main character in the story. Jeanette's most important contribution to the family is the fact that she never loses faith in them, so she is the glue that holds them together. This is particularly important in the case of her father.
<em>Brian</em> is the next child, and he is a great defender of his sisters. He is also the most honest one about the parent's shortcomings. Because of this, he is able to bring some reality into their lives, and he is able to remain more distant from the chaos. Finally, <em>Maureen</em> is the one who reflects what a chaotic childhood can cause on a child. She is more affected mentally and spiritually by her upbringing, in contrast with her siblings. She is also the one who seems to contribute the least to the family's stability.
The short story "Ashputtle" was written by the Grimm brothers. It is very similar to the fairy tale known as Cinderella. The word "archetypal" means something that is very typical of a certain kind of person or thing. In this story, the way the king held a three-day feast and invited all the rich girls to attend the feast is archetypal of the monarchy throughout the ages. He was looking for a wife for his son from the same social class as he was.
