A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

• By Betty Smith
• Presentation by Abby Sharp

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
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1900-1919The Progressive Era

• Presidents
• Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) P.
• William Taft (1909-1913) R.
• Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) D.

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Controversies of Era

• Legal
• Womens suffrage was a major issue in the
  early 1900s (Jennings 26).

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Controversies of Era

• Medical
• In 1918, a pandemic of influenza hit the
  world, causing more deaths than in WWI
  (Poindexter).

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Economics of the Era

• In the late 1800s and early 1900s, America became
  a more urban industrialized nation (Issacson 56).

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Lifestyles of the Era

• Work
• Spring of 1911- A fire broke out in the
  Triangle Shirtwaist factory 146 teenage women
  (workers) perished (Tables).

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Lifestyles of the Era

• Family
• Many children had to quit school to work in
  order to help support their families (Jennings
  21).

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Lifestyles of the Era

• Education
• In 1900, the average American only had five
  years of schooling (Jennings 16).

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Gender Roles of the Era

• Education
• The number of women who were choosing higher
  education instead of marriage increased (DuBose
  79).

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PLOT BLURB
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Nolan family Katie, Johnny, Francie, Neeley and
Annie

• They live in poverty
• Johnny is an alcoholic and often shames the
  family
• Francie likes learning and she is a good student
• Johnny dies on Christmas, before Annie is born

• Francie and Neeley must work (finished 8th grade)
• Neeley (moms favorite) gets to go to high school
• Katie marries a wealthy man and Francie is
  finally able to go to college

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CHARACTER LIFE DECISIONS

• Francie decides to leave her town
• Katie decides to send Neeley to school and
  Francie to work
• Johnny decides to put alcohol ahead of his
  familys welfare

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Francie decides to leave town to start a better
life

• Francie realizes that she has to leave or
  suddenly she would be a disgusting old woman
  without teeth (Smith 15).

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Historical Connection

• The number of women who were choosing higher
  education instead of marriage increased (DuBose
  79).

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Katies decision to send Neeley back to school

• Katie wants Francie to work because Francie will
  find her way back to education, while Neeley does
  not want to go to school (Smith 250).

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Historical Connection

• Many children had to quit school to work in
  order to help support their families (Jennings
  21).

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Johnny decides to put alcohol ahead of his family

• On his twenty- first birthday, Johnnys drinking
  problem brings shame on the family and forces the
  family to move (Smith 302).

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Historical Connection

• One of the major factors leading to the
  prohibition of alcohol was the increase in men
  spending their salaries on liquor (Tables).

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MOTIFS

• Life and Growth
• Love

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Life and Growth

• Francie sees that a new tree had grown from the
  stump and its trunk had grown along the ground
  until it reached a place where there were no wash
  lines above it. Then it started to grown toward
  the sky (Smith 483).

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Love

• With regards to Johnny, Francie kissed his cheek
  softly and said that she loved her papa so much
  (Smith 34).

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INTERPRETIVE QUESTION
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Do you think that American children today are
more or less likely to suffer from abuse and
poverty than Francie?

• Children today are less likely to suffer from
  poverty and abuse
• There are more laws in place to protect children

• Nonexistent in the early 1900s, labor laws,
  truancy laws, and child protective services now
  lessen the exploitation of children

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Textual Support 1

• One example of Francies exploitation is when
  Francie needed to go back to work in order for
  her to help her mother pay the bills (Smith 249).

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Textual Support 2

• In the case of a potential abduction, Smith
  writes, The man came up to Francie and was about
  to take her away with him until her mother came
  to her rescue (Smith 170).

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Textual Support 3

• In addition to Francie working to help support
  her family, kids collected money for the family
  by trading in old junk (Smith 15).

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LITERARY CRITICISM
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Criticism 1

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a profoundly moving
  novel, an honest and true one. It cuts right to
  the heart of life (Tree).

• I disagree (somewhat)
• Moving story
• Outdated issues

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Criticism 2

• This is the first novel of uncommon skill and
  almost uncontrollable vitality and zest for life
  (Prescott 423).

• I agree
• Novel well- written
• Reader cares about characters
• Francie tree (strength and growth)

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Transcendence of Themes

• The journey of the protagonist is heroic.
  Francie clearly identifies with the Tree of
  Heaven in her urge to continue to develop into a
  young woman that she can be proud of. Smiths use
  of the tree as a symbol of Francies growth is
  effective and powerful (Prescott).

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This concludes my presentation

• THANK YOU!