A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - 972 Words

The setting changes while Francie continues to mature into a woman. She becomes 16, and is beginning to lead a life of her own. The family leaves the grieving they had for Johnny behind. Not only does Francie start out with a clean slate, so does the rest of the Nolan family. After the two and  ½ years of mourning for Johnny, Sergeant Mc Shane asks Katie to marry him. War rages through the country. While he and Katie make arrangements for the fall wedding and gifts of money and whatnot, Francie makes headway in her personal life. In college, a handsome young lad holding the name Ben Blake, seems to fancy Francie as they go on various study dates. He helps her cram for college entrance exams. Though she fails the first time, she later tries again and gets accepted into Michigan University that Ben chose for her to apply. Meanwhile, Katie receives a gift of $1,000.00 from Mc Shane, which she later uses for Francie’s college money, and a gift to Evy- $200.00. Laurie Nolan gets her last name changed to Mc Shane. The Nolans move from their humble apartment flat to the rich Mc Shane house. Neeley grows older and Francie can’t help but notice he is so alike to Johnny. When the Nolans are finished moving, Francie says goodbye to all the places she once treasured; Carney’s where she hauled junk, Cheap Charlie’s, where she tried to win prizes but never got any, Mcgaritty’s saloon, and the library. Lastly, she sees Florry Wendy in her fire escape, reading and watching the streetsShow MoreRelatedA Tree Grows in Brooklyn Paper901 Words   |  4 PagesI. Intro paragraph a. Hook: In the Irish American community of Brooklyn in the 1900’s, immigrants faced discrimination and crushing poverty b. In the world that Betty Smith describes in â€Å"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn† however, this poverty is depicted as a kind of virtue, a force that causes individuals to grow, and families to bond c. Yet, while female characters like Katie and Francie grow from overcoming the hardships brought on by poverty, Francie’s father Johnny Nolan is defeatedRead MoreThe Influence of the Family Members on the Life of Francie Nolan by Betty Smith782 Words   |  4 PagesThe Influence of the Family Members on the Life of Francie Nolan 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 andRead MoreComing of Age in a Tree Grows in Brooklyn1231 Words   |  5 PagesBetty Smith s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn presents the problems of a child growing up, the coming of age when one meets challenges and overcomes obstacles. The protagonist, Francie Nolan, undergoes a self-discovery as she strives to mature living in the Brooklyn slum despite its poverty and privation. Thus, Smith s thematic treatment of the struggle of maturity has become for the reader an exploration of loneliness, family relationships, the loss of innocence, and death and di sease. One of theRead MoreLoss of Innocence in Francie Nolan Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesIn Betty Smiths A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Francie Nolan and her family struggle with many economical and emotional hardships in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Her mother, Katie, and her father, Johnny, marry and have children at an extremely young age, causing their familys fate to be doomed right from the start. Francie, the older of the two children, has her mothers hard-work ethic, and her fathers sentimentality and imagination. Through Francies fear, humiliation, compassion, sorrow, prideRead MoreEmpathy Is The True Catalyst For Understanding1419 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding more about culture--especially Hispanic cultures. When I was ten, my mother gave me a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith which recounts the history of Francie Nolan, a child of Irish immigrants, growing up in New York at the turn of the century. I can’t count the number of times that I have read this book. I love the historical detail about Francie’s life which is based off of Betty Smith’s personal experiences. However, after meeting my boyfriend’s family, I became acutely awareRead MoreMy Greatest Enemy Is The American Education System970 Words   |  4 Pageswho possesses these three qualities so I can finally have a fulfilling conversation. The closest things I have to passionate people are my books. Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez, Jane Austen, Nicholas Kristof, Madeleine L’Engle, Rick Riordan, Harper Lee, Betty Smith, Lois Lowry, and so many more have enabled me to think beyond myself, to explore alien ideas, and to think creatively. I am jealous of all those who can create. They are able to explain themselves while I cannot. Often, I get trapped in my own mindRead MoreThe True Nature Of Human Nature In Mark Twain And The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer1609 Words   |  7 Pages Contrary to Austens’ belief, Mark Twain withâ€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer† shows a more optimistic view of human nature where the guilt and sense of sympathy are the driving emotions behind every action. Similarly, in the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith identifies the empathy and duty as a primary cause for the kindness in each person. Every person is hardwired to be a social and inherently good person driven by the emotional consequences and personal experiences that one has facedRead MoreTom Sawyer Human Nature Essay1578 Words   |  7 PagesContrary to Austen s’ belief, Mark Twain withâ€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer† shows a more optimistic view of human nature where the guilt and sense of sympathy are the driving emotions behind every action. Similarly, in the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith identifies the empathy and duty as a primary cause for the kindness in each person. Every person is hardwired to be a social and inherently good person driven by the emotional consequences and personal experiences that one has facedRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 PagesMountain by Thomas Mann (1924). Pather Panchali, by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay (1929)[29] Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (1936) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1936) Native Son by Richard Wright (1940) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943) The Green Years by A. J. Cronin (1944) The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger (1951)[30] The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (for plot character Eustace Scrubb) by C. S. Lewis (1952) Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952) In theRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesMountain Home Bryan Pesta, Cleveland State University Jeff Peterson, University of Washington Nanette Philibert, Missouri Southern State University Larry Phillips, Indiana University South Bend William Pinchuk, Rutgers University at Camden Eric Popkoff, Brooklyn College Paul Preston, University of Montevallo Scott Quatro, Grand Canyon University Aarti Ramaswami, Indiana University Bloomington Jere Ramsey, Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo Amy Randel, San Diego State University Anne Reilly, Loyola University Chicago