Authors often use their characters to teach major lessons to the reader. The lessons the reader often learns are life lessons, which are learned through the hardships of the main character. Betty Smith is no different with the use of Francie Nolan, the main character of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, to teach the reader many life lessons. In the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the protagonist, Francie Nolan faces the difficulty of poverty, which teaches the reader life lessons such as resilience, perseverance, and intelligence.
Resilience is learned from Francie's character because even when her family hits a low point and are struggling to pay the bills she is resilient. Francie refuses to allow poverty to hold her down for to long. "But they were made out of invisible steel." (Smith 69) Though poverty was very hard on Francie she had an invisible steel in her. Allowing Francie to get through her problems and continue her journey.
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Francie is a hard worker much like her mother and she continues to work hard through all the ups and downs of life. Francie continues to try and achieve her dreams even when it seems as though she would not be able too. "“If people could get into college that easy, no one would ever bother with high school. But don’t you worry, Mama. I know what the entrance examinations are now, and I’ll pass next year. It can be done and I’ll do it. You’ll see”" (Smith 436). Francie perseveres with getting her education even though it is harder than she originally thought it would be. Though originally her family only had enough money to send one child to school after her father died. Francie was able to take summer courses at the college to continue her education. Francie persevered through the hardships that poverty that held Francie
Often the change and transition to middle is a difficult one for students, so it is no surprise that a student of Juanita’s caliber would be having trouble as well. Her regular middle school teachers were not going above and beyond to make sure Juanita succeed, if anything it seemed as if Juanita was a burden to them. If it was not for the Ms. Issabelle’s effort, Juanita would have failed the 6th grade, and possibly fell through the cracks of the education system.
What those student did actually changed the policy and made it easier for families to afford college without heavy loans. This showed others that activists can make a difference, something she presses on in this
From close-mouthed to communicative, oblivious to obsessed, indifferent to independent, The Bean Trees shows all sorts of changes that can occur in unimaginable situations. Making these transformations seem so real, Barbara Kingsolver effectively brings the book to life by allowing the characters to uniquely grow and thrive in all sorts of circumstances just like we do in the real world. Lessons could even be taken from what these people learned through their journeys in life and applied to how we carry ourselves in our daily lives. Independence, self confidence, persistence, and perseverance all prove to be integral qualities in succeeding in life no matter what it throws at us.
Parental involvement often acts as a buffer for poor education as it leads to higher elementary school achievement, lower high school dropout rates, and more time time spent on homework (Morris, class lecture, May 3, 2016). While it is true that MacDonald’s mother Helen allowed her children to boycott school for a period of time, she was quite involved in her children’s education and lives as a whole. From the time they were young, Helen MacDonald instilled the importance of education upon her many children. When Michael Patrick MacDonald was five years old, his mother began to take classes at Suffolk University where she was studying with the help of financial aid from the government (MacDonald, 41). Helen MacDonald did not have a babysitter but continued to attend class despite this challenge, bringing Michael along with her. In doing so, Helen MacDonald not only furthered her own education but also demonstrated to her young children that school is important. Furthermore, in the face of busing riots, Helen MacDonald paid to send her children to private school despite the crippling poverty she was facing. Because Helen MacDonald paid for education rather than several necessities for herself, it is clear that she not only cared deeply about her children, but that she cared deeply for their
In the essay “Achievement of Desire”, author Richard Rodriguez, describes the story of our common experience such as growing up, leaving home, receiving an education, and joining the world. As a child, Rodriguez lived the life of an average teenager raised in the stereotypical student coming from a working class family. With the exception, Rodriguez was always top of his class, and he always spent time reading books or studying rather than spending time with his family or friends. This approach makes Rodriguez stand out as an exceptional student, but with time he becomes an outsider at home and in school. Rodriguez describes himself as a “scholarship boy” meaning that because of the scholarships and grants that he was receiving to attend school; there was much more of an expectation for him to acquire the best grades and the highest scores. Rodriguez suggests that the common college student struggles the way he did because when a student begins college, they forget “the life [they] enjoyed
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.
The lack of education can lead to poverty and poverty can lead to a lack of education, this is a cycle that is hard to get out of. Author Wes mother was able to go to college and get her degree. She wasn 't the first to go or the first two finished. She was able to overcome the situation poverty and found a way to go to college. This desire for college was something she gave to author Wes. She knew the public school was a bad place to be for her son so she did what she had to have the money to send Wes to Riverdale Country School. Author Wes got the schooling that had more of a focus on attending college as an end goal by attending Riverdale Country School. Since he went to Riverdale Country School he got the desire to get a degree that he probably would have never got in the public school in his neighborhood. The other Wes mother 's life was different and she didn 't put that need to get a degree into her
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.
This is an example of Jeannette’s parents trying to keep their children as optimistic as possible.They knew that their life would be rough and tough based on what they had gone through however if they always kept the positive mindset it would make things a lot easier for
...eral topic of school. The sister strives to graduate and go to school even though she is poor while her brother blames the school for him dropping out and not graduating. “I got out my social studies. Hot legs has this idea of a test every Wednesday” (118). This demonstrates that she is driven to study for class and get good grades while her brother tries to convince her that school is worth nothing and that there is no point in attending. “‘Why don’t you get out before they chuck you out. That’s all crap,’ he said, knocking the books across the floor. ‘You’ll only fail your exam and they don’t want failures, spoils their bloody numbers. They’ll ask you to leave, see if they don’t’” (118). The brother tries to convince his sister that school is not a necessity and that living the way he does, being a drop out living in a poverty stricken family is the best thing.
Ever since she was a young girl. Jeannette had set high goals for herself. Since she was so advanced in school and genuinely enjoyed learning, it made sense that she would want to do big things with her life. Whether it was being a veterinarian or a geologist, her dreams extended far beyond her homes in little desert towns or Welch, West Virginia. However, because of her poverty-stricken home life, many people believed it didn’t seem likely that she would be so successful. One day, while living in Welch, Jeannette goes to the bar to drag her drunk father back home. A neighborhood man offers them a ride back to their house, and on the ride up he and Jeannette start a conversation about school. When Jeannette tells the man that she works so hard in school because of her dream careers, the man laughs saying, “for the daughter of the town drunk, you sure got big plans” (Walls 183). Immediately, Jeannette tells the man to stop the car and gets out, taking her father with her. This seems to be a defining moment in which Jeannette is first exposed to the idea that she is inferior to others. Although this man said what he did not mean to offend her, Jeannette is clearly very hurt by his comment. To the reader, it seems as if she had never thought that her family’s situation made her subordinate to those
The Bean Trees is a novel which shows Taylor’s maturation; it is a bildungsroman story. Taylor is a developing or dynamic character. Her moral qualities and outlook undergo a permanent change. When the novel begins, Taylor is an independent-minded young woman embarking on an adventure to a new world. She has no cares or worries. She is confident in her abilities, and is determined to make it through life on her own. As she discovers new things and meets new people, Taylor is exposed to the realities of the world. She learns about the plight of abandoned children and of illegal immigrants. She learns how to give help and how to depend upon the help of others. As she interacts with others, those people are likewise affected by Taylor. The other developing characters are Lou Ann Ruiz, Turtle, and Esperanza. Together they learn the importance of interdependence and find their confidence.
It has often been suggested that some southwestern literature is based on the experiences of others. With this suggestion, it has been demonstrated that these experiences are incorporated with the intention of portraying the experiences of others as a learning tool; for both the reader and the writer. Some may also imply that literature, therefore, may impose a learning opportunity in itself. In correspondence with this belief, it must be suggested that the classic novel, The Bean Trees, could be considered a learning experience for the audience as well as Barbara Kingsolver in relation to the catalyzing character Marietta "Missy"/Taylor Greer along with additional inspirational characters that effect her and are likewise effected along the way.
All dramatic productions feature the elements of drama. Following a viewing of the scene ‘Someone’s crying’ from the 1993 movie ‘The Secret Garden’ three of the elements of drama have been assessed. Role, character and relationships have been utilised in ‘The Secret Garden’ to create anxiety and suspense, enticing the viewer to solve the mysteries the Secret Garden presents. The protagonist in the scene is a young girl, around the age of ten who during the night leaves her room to explore her residence. The protagonist narrates the scene; she begins by stating that the ‘house seems dead like under a spell’. This makes the viewer anxious and fearful for the safety of our young protagonist. The protagonist is brave. She pushes open a door and
As mentioned in the article, “Biography of Betty Smith, Author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Smith was “encouraged to use material from her past.” Smith’s novels pulled memories from her life to effectively tell her heart warming yet heartbreaking stories. Smith focused on the “brutality of childhood and youth” mostly seen in her novels A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Joy in the Morning. Most of Smith’s books focused on individuals or families facing poverty in Brooklyn. In the article, “Biography of Betty Smith, Author of a Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Smith stated, “I realized that he [Thomas Wolfe] had caught the lost feeling of Brooklyn, but his stories weren’t authentic. This challenged me to write what I know about Brooklyn, to show it as it really is.” Smith also wrote in a manner that was easy to read and understand. As mentioned in the article, “Biography of Betty Smith, Author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” a factor contributing to her book’s popularity was the fact that Smith wrote the “first American novel about the lives of ordinary working-class people that was written in a style that ordinary working-class people could understand.” In the book, “Literature and Its Times,” it states that “Smith’s novel found high favor among the general public, and praise as a faithful and almost poetic portrayal of the twentieth- century Brooklyn slums.” Although Smith’s novels