The Nolans In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

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Some interesting things I learned about Betty Smith are that she had a mistake with her name when she was born, she had earned many awards, she wrote lots of plays, and she wanted to live life to the fullest. Lastly her family was quite interesting as well. When Betty Smith needed a copy of her birth certificate to get a passport, she was surprised to discover her name listed as Sophia. Her mother could speak little English when she had Smith. When she went to tell about the birth, the doctor kept shouting "name?" at her and the confused mother thought he meant her name so she said, Sophie. Smith was baptized as Elizabeth Lillian Wehner, her mother refers to her in her letters as Lizzie or Littie, her schoolmates wrote to her as Elizabeth or …show more content…

They immigrated from Germany and her grandmother was very superstitious like the grandmother in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Betty’s grandfather carved her a church and carved little crosses. In the book Francie’s grandfather carved things that they kept on the altar at her church. Like Johnny Nolan in the novel, John Casper Wehner was one of four sons, each a year apart: Franky, Johnny, Ambrose (Andy) and George (Georgy). John Wehner's father died young, and his mother, Regina, was possessive of her sons. John Casper went to see her every Sunday and her mother wouldn't talk to him when he came home. This information is like the novel, because "The Rommelys ran to women of strong personalities. The Nolans ran to weak and talented men.” Katie Nolan was supposed to represent Smith’s mother, in the novel Francie and Katie do not have a close relationship and Smith and her mother did not have a close relationship. Johnny Nolan represented Smith’s father, in the novel Francie and her father have a strong bond like Smith and her father. Also Smith's father was an alcoholic and he sang a lot. Lastly her father died when he was forty and his death was listed as pneumonia like in the

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