"No matter where its seed fell, it made a tree which struggled to reach the sky. It grew in boarded-up lots, and out of neglected rubbish heaps and it was the only tree that grew out of cement. It grew lushly, but only in the tenement districts."(Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, pg. 6). This is a quote from Betty Smith's novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The quote is a great metaphor for the story, which is about a young girl named Francie and her life as she grows up in poverty during the early 1900's. Even so, while children, and most people in general, had hard lives then, there was still good to be fond around them. Not everything in their lives had to be bad so long as they didn’t want it to be.
Of course, there were still the bad
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things in every person life, it would be foolish to think otherwise, and Francie was no exception to this. "She had become accustomed to being lonely. She was used to walking alone and to being considered different."(pg. 162). She was an outcast, an oddball among her peers, and suffered from loneliness as a result. If fact she was even loved less by her mother than her siblings. "I am going to love this boy more than the girl but I mustn't ever let her know. It is wrong to love one child more than the other but this is something I cannot help."(pg. 95). When her younger brother was being born, her own mother had admitted to herself that she would never love Francie as much and she loved her son, Neeley. As Francie got older she realizes this but came to accept it as she knew that her mother needed her more than she needed Neeley. It was also commonly known that the world they lived in was rough and unforgiving. "Besides, she said to her conscience, it's a hard and bitter world. They’ve got to live in it. Let them get hardened young to take care of themselves."(pg. 144). Their own mother had understood what the world was like and so she decided it was best too let them learn how to do the harder things in life on their own. She had said this herself just before she left her children at a vaccination clinic, which they were both terrified of since neither wanted to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, she had gone off to work so she could continue providing for her family. Though their lives may have been rough, there of course was a silver lining to it most of the time.
"Oh magic hour when a child first knows it can read printed words!"(pg. 166). Even though Francie had gone to a horrible school in which she was shunned and hated for living in poverty, she had found a silver lining when she discovered that she was able to read. At the time, it had been one of the best moments of her life. Christmas time had also been a time which Francie loved. "Francie nearly burst with pride although she knew he was joking. She wouldn't sell it for a dollar even."(pg. 204). When Francie and Neeley had won their own Christmas tree, which they had fought for, it was an incredible feeling for them. Knowing that they had worked for something and earned it themselves was an incredibly gratifying feeling. Finally, what was probably one best moments from Francie's life that was covered in the, story was when Francie realized for the first time that she would be attending college. "I never even went to high school. But I, M. Frances K. Nolan, am now in college. Do you hear that, Francie? You're in college!"(pg. 430). From the moment that Francie was able to attend college her determination to become more successful only increased. This goes to show that despite the Nolan family's run-down lifestyle in poverty, they found the good out of it and celebrated that for what it …show more content…
was. All the while, whether it was good or bad, changes were happening all around them and in their lives.
"Growing up spoils a lot of things."(pg. 217). One instance of a bad change would have been the death of Johnny. "Francie stood numb. There was no feeling of anything. What he mom just said had no meaning."(pg. 282). Johnny dying was incredibly hard for Francie to accept, but it was a change that she had to get used to. Johnny's actions led him down a path that led nowhere good and his family had known something bad would happen eventually. While overall this change may seem bad, there could also be some good seen out of it, since it helped Francie and Neeley to grow as people and mature. Another change had come when Francie had gotten a large raise in her pay. "Twenty dollars a week! Francie was stunned. Two months ago, she was glad to earn five dollars a week."(pg. 383). Similarly to when Johnny died, while this seems like an amazing thing at first but this came with its own down sides. While it wasn't the main reason, this decision most likely helped in solidifying Katie's decision to no send Francie to high school, even though she wanted to go far more than Neeley, who ended up going. It seemed that no matter what life threw at them, all the good and bad evened out and resulting in the type of life that was common for a child in that
time. Overall, I learned that life in the early 1900's wasn't as black and white as I had initially interpreted it. It comes to be more of a mix of all the good and the back mixed up together, leaving families to survive with whatever their given. No one's life is all good, or all bad. The Nolan family had to suffer and strive for greatness just like everyone else.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, what a splendid name for this book. Most people that have not read this book might only think that this book is about a tree growing in Brooklyn. Not knowing that this book is really about Francie Nolan. Francie is the tree that is growing in Brooklyn. She is growing up so quickly, not because she wants to, but because she has too. Francie was basically forced to grow up in her mid-teens. She had to help support her family. The world that Francie lived in also contributed to her growth into womanhood.
In the story, each character's mental and physical health changes, whether it is prominently obvious or not. Their health declines – whether it be a rapid decline, as in the father's case, or a graduating descent, like the the rest of the family – and they become older and less attached to the real world, more attached to each other. They retain their habits from the camp and it affects the way that they live amongst other people, in the outside world. The permanence of the changes is evident in each character and will strongly affect the way they live the rest of their life from that point.
The poem commences with a debate between the mother and daughter about what they should do with the black walnut tree. Lines 1-15 are written in straightforward, easy to comprehend language. In these lines the speaker addresses why they should sell the tree. The two women give reasons by stating that the tree is growing weak, and given the tree’s proximity to the house, a storm will cause it to collapse into their house and pose a threat to their lives. In addition, the speaker claims that “roots in the cellar drains,” meaning the roots of the tree are getting bigger and spreading into the foundation of the house, thereby producing another danger to the well-being of the family. Moreover, the tree is getting older (“the leaves are getting heavier”), and the walnuts produced by the tree are becoming to gather. The tone of the mother and daughter shows their need for money but also a reluctance to selling the tree; they are desperately in need of money, but they don’t seem to be in favor of selling the tree. Although the reasons provided by the family are credible, they are not wholehearted. This is because the women “talk slowly…...
The main character in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, is certainly the brilliant and resourceful Francie Nolan, however, three other characters in the novel deserve credit for guiding Francie through her troublesome childhood. Francie Nolan grows up in the slums of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Despite Francie’s lifestyle of poverty and distress, she manages to work several respectable jobs, attend college and, fall in love. Although Francie works hard, she would not have been able to survive without the encouragement and support of Johnny Nolan, Sissy Rommely and Katie Nolan.
Many aspects of life are explored in Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Bean Trees. A young woman named Marietta Greer from Kentucky wanted to strike out on her own, leaving behind everything she ever knew, just to start a new life. Many children want to do this at an early age so they can experience life on their own yet they don't realize the dangers involved.. Everyone that leaves the solace of their own home needs loving support to keep them going through life.
Jolly’s house has affected LaVaughn in a caring yet negative way. When LaVaughn got home from Jolly’s house one day she says “I ain’t got my social studies done yet...” LaVaughn’s mom suddenly gets angry, “Nobody says AIN’T in this house. Nobody ever said that word here before and nobody needs to say that word here now.” (144)LaVaughn is learning small things that Jolly that are slowly making her more like her. Which isn’t good, nobody wants LaVaughn to end up like Jolly and be where Jolly is. However, being at Jolly’s house is subtly turning LaVaughn into Jolly in a negative way. Another example of LaVaughn being negatively affected is after a long day at Jolly’s she goes to school the next day, “In social studies I got a whole country wrong...Zimbabwe took some points and I’ll mess up something else and lose some more points.” (26)Lavaughn is unfocused and doesn’t have her priorities straight. She prioritises the kids over school work and, now she is paying for it. LaVaughn school work is becoming worse because she is spending too much time at Jolly’s house. However, we also see that Jolly is caring for the kids. Which is positively affecting her. LaVaughn is caring for the kids, but she needs to make sure she balances time with kids with her school work. Lastly, when Jolly finally gets home from a long day LaVaughn is relieved. The next day she asks the teacher what she missed, “The social studies teacher said I could stay after if I wanted too, but I have to got Jollys then.”(28) We see once again that LaVaughn doesn’t have her priorities straight. Because she is pending so much time with Jolly and her house she is starting to prioritize her and her family. LaVaughn is becoming more like Jolly by spending so much time with her at her house. LaVaughn is negatively affected by her because Jolly is making LaVaughn’s priorities all mixed
All things considered, the story, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith is a great read to all as Francie Nolan narrates her life. First, the readers will learn to love the small, joyous things in life and to know that happiness is not a far away thing. Secondly, the readers will learn that through painful conflicts in life one can become stronger. Learning to live can be arduous, but it can make you
Going through the same thing every day can be comforting and change can create chaos in the everyday routine. After the youth leaves change will set in but will change the outcomes of the activities that occur. Some parents will enjoy the free time that has been presented and others will fade and not know what to do. Older generation parents have readjusted before and have had to change their life to incorporate the youth coming into their life; some transitions were easier than others. Some of the parents find that moving out of their community is not the way to change the pace of life that is occurring. Yet the change of moving would create a drastic change of pace; some of the parents in Ellis tell Carr and Kefalas, “They fear that the outside world will expect them to change too much of who and what they are” (21). Making a change would require something that most parents don’t have, and that would be wanting to leave. Most of the older generation are content with the life they have; yet the ability of having a change of pace is enticing.
In the fictional novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith tells the life experiences of one girl growing up in Brooklyn, New York. The main character of the book, Francie, fulfills the pattern of a questing hero. Smith leads the reader through the high points of Francie's life as well as the low. One learns of all the obstacles Francie accomplished and while reading, begins to love and appreciate the girl.
In Christianity, trees were viewed as a primary source of life and knowledge, exhibited in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). Denver used trees as a safe haven for her; a safe place where she can hide from her mother after the trauma that transpired the night that crawling already? was killed. “Veiled and protected by the live green walls, she felt ripe and clear, and salvation was as easy as a wish,”(Morrison, 29). Contrasting with the safety of the trees for Denver, Sethe’s idea of trees has much darker connotations. As a child, she saw “Boys hangin’ from the most beautiful sycamores in the world. It shamed her-remembering the wonderful soughing trees rather than the boys,” (Morrison 6). For Sethe, the symbolism of trees has been twisted into viewing trees not as hope, but as death, and the pain from her past. As Amy had observed, the scars on Sethe only served as reminders of her painful time at Sweet Home, where she had very little hope for the future. A lesson that should be derived from this book is that the perspective from which you look at the past could help it become less painful. Sethe is too focused on the pain of her past, so therefore she is unable to see trees as they were meant to be seen, while Paul D views them as a pathway to second chances. He views trees as “inviting; things you could trust and be ear; talk to if you wanted to as he frequently did since way back when he took the midday meal in the fields of Sweet Home,” (Morrison,
When an adult goes through a series of experiences, specifically trauma, they are forced to grow up. The story The Round House, is about Joe, a thirteen year old boy who is forced into growing up in the midst of witnessing his family fall apart from the heinous rape and near murder of his mother. Because of the attack on his mother, Joe’s life is brought into a whirlwind of new realities. The rape of his mother forced Joe into learning how to handle the situation of his mother’s attack within himself, learning how to cope with the new way of his family, and ultimately taking the life of Linden Lark. Because of the actions taken by Lark against Geraldine, Joe was pushed into to growing up too fast.
Jeannette and her siblings were left without a proper education due to the fact of their parents' weird way living. The Walls children were always moving from place to place because of Rex and Rosemary. Parent interaction in their children's educational learning has a big effect in the ending. If a parent is involved, asks about their child's schoolwork, how their day was, etc., the child will do better in school because their parent actually cares. On the other hand, if a parent rarely shows interest in their child's school studies, the child may believe that they do not have to try hard in their studies because the parent will no...
Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn presents the problems of a young girl coming of age, a time when she is faced with new challenges and must overcome obstacles. Throughout the book the protagonist, Francie Nolan discovers herself maturing as she struggles with loneliness, the loss of innocence and a life of poverty in a Brooklyn slum. This theme is evident in (1.) her love for books which she uses as companionship, (2.) her outlook on the world as she matures and finally, (3.) her realization that in order to succeed in life she must obtain an education and work hard to do it.
Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a tale of poignant family relationships and childhood and also of grim privation. The story revolves around the protagonist of the story, young Francie Nolan. She is an imaginative, endearing 11-year-old girl growing up in 1912, in Brooklyn, New York. The entire story revolves around Francie and the Nolan family, including her brother Neelie, her mother Katie and her father Johnny. An ensemble of high relief characters aids and abets them in their journey through this story of sometimes bleak survival and everlasting hope. As we find out, the struggle for survival is primarily focused against the antagonist of this story, the hard-grinding poverty afflicting Francie, the Nolan’s and Brooklyn itself. The hope in the novel is shown symbolically in the “The “Tree of Heaven””. A symbol used throughout the novel to show hope, perseverance and to highlight other key points.
She has finally become more understanding and open-minded towards other people’s’ feelings, emotions, and actions. She shows this by reuniting Mrs. Leonardo with her sister that she barely gets to speak with. “’ My sister, you see…’ she pauses emotionally. ’Well, she’s… coming to dinner’” Katie realizes that family is put above all. She’s no longer someone who judges people before she gets to know them. Now, the day is over and as Katie is walking home, she thinks about her father who unfortunately passed away and realizes the importance of being close to family. And I remember the book my dad would read to us when we were little about the baby animals and their parents and how each mother and father kissed their babies goodnight. …but I wouldn’t give it up for anything.“ She acknowledges the fact that family always comes before anything