A Tree Grows In Brooklyn Reading Response Discussion Questions
Novel: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Author: Betty Smith
Directions: Answer the following discussion questions in complete sentences. It is recommended that you answer the questions as you read, as opposed to reading the entire work and then doing all of the questions at the end. Be sure to look past the obvious information and ‘dig deep’ for the analytical questions.
BOOK I
Chapter 1:
· What is the Tree of Heaven and how is it described? What do we know about it? Why is it special?
· What is the Saturday “ritual” for Francie and Neeley? Explain.
· Describe the financial situation of the Nolans. How do you know? Give examples of indicators of their socioeconomic status.
Chapter 2:
· Describe Francie’s feelings when she is in the library. What does this reveal about her character?
· Compare Flossie with Aunt Sissy.
Chapter 3:
· What does Francie learn about her father as she listens to him thinking out loud? Give examples.
· Describe Francie’s relationship with her father.
Chapter 4:
· Why is Francie fascinated with Floss Gaddis?
· As she admires Flossie, why does Francie all of a sudden begin to “grow uneasy.”
Chapter 5
· Who is Francie’s favorite Aunt? Why/how do you know?
· Give evidence that Katie Nolan is a practical woman.
· Explain the significance of “pickle day.” What does this reveal about Francie’s character?
Chapter 6:
· Francie and Neeley must obey Katie’s “nightly rule.” Explain. What is the significance of this rule?
· What is the significance of “Molly Malone”?
BOOK II
Chapter 7: FLASHBACK TO 12 YRS EARLIER
· Describe Mary Rommely. Compare the Rommely daughters.
· “Those were the Rommely women ...They were all slender, frail creatures with wondering eyes and soft fluttery voices. But they were made out of thin visible steel.” Explain truth/falsity of this passage.
Chapter 8:
· What is significant about the Nolan boys?
· Describe Francie’s character in detail, using the passages in page 71-72. What makes her unique from the rest of the Nolans and Rommelys?
Chapter 9:
· After the birth of Francie, Mary Rommely “wept” and Katie Nolan became “frantic with worry.” Why?
· What important values are passed on to Katie Nolan in the hopes of making “a different world” for Francie? What would this “different world” be like? Explain.
· Explain how the library of Francie was started.
Chapter 10:
· Why could Katie’s no longer breastfeed all of a sudden?
· Describe Johnny’s reaction after learning the news of Katie’s pregnancy.
· What views about life do you think the author is portraying? Explain.
Chapter 11:
· What is Katie implying when she tells Sissy, “I’m not forgetting that you are my sister. And I hope you remembered that too?”
· What evidence is given in this chapter that Katie abides by Christian values?
Chapter 12:
· Why does Katie insist on moving? What does this reveal about her character?
· Why does Katie insist on being a housemaid?
[General Questions about Chapters 9-12]
· How do you define “Sacrifice”. In this novel, who sacrifices and how?
· How does Mary Rommley define “education.” What does this say about her character?
· How are Thomas Rommley and Johnny Nolan alike?
· What transpires between Sissy and Johnny? Do you think that what Sissy does is wrong? Why do you think she does it?
Chapter 13:
· What makes Francie unique from other children?
· What wisdom about children is revealed in this chapter?
· How does Francie deal with her isolation?
Chapter 14:
· What is revealed about Sissy’s character in this chapter? Give examples to support your reasoning.
· Do you think Katie is justified in forbidding Sissy to come to the house? Explain your reasoning.
· How does Katie deal with her sister’s irresponsibility?
BOOK III
Chapter 15:
· What miracle does Francie find in her new home?
What do Francie’s tears reveal?
Chapter 16:
· Explain the “mystery of the Orient in Brooklyn.”
Chapter 17:
· Katie is a very practical and intelligent mother. Explain the truth/falsity of this statemtent.
· Compare and contrast Katie’s and Johnny’s determination. Explain.
Chapter 18:
· Why does Katie insist on making the children go alone to the doctor’s office? What does this reveal about her character?
· What is the significance of Francie’s trip to the doctor’s office?
· Contrast Katie’s “parenting style” with that of Johnny’s. What do you think accounts for this difference?
Chapter 19:
· Francie expected great things from school, but was soon disappointed. Give examples of Francie’s disappointments during her school experiences.
· What is ironic about the way teachers treat the poor children?
· Who comes to Francie’s rescue? How?
· What Christian value is strongly emphasized in this chapter?
Chapter 20:
· How is poverty emphasized in this chapter? Give examples.
· What actions are taken by Katie in order to prevent her children from diseases?
· How do Francie’s school experiences affect her?
· In what ways are Francie’s school experiences similar to yours? Different?
Chapter 21:
· What metaphor does Betty Smith use to describe Francie’s school experiences?
Chapter 22:
· How does Francie overcome her loneliness?
· Which aspect of Francie’s character is emphasized in this chapter? What impact do you think it has (and will have) on her life?
Chapter 23:
· What is revealed about Francie’s relationship with Johnny? How is it different from her relationship with Katie? Give examples.
· Why was getting into the new school such a good thing for Francie?
Chapter 24:
· In what ways is are politics similar today? Different?
Chapter 25:
· How does Johnny’s drinking affect his relationship with Francie?
· What view of America is portrayed by the author?
Chapter 26:
· How does Thanksgiving Day change Francie’s life?
· What advice does the teacher give Francie? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
Chapter 27:
· Explain the significance of the tree that Francie and Neeley won.
· Why is Katie upset at Christmas, when everyone is so happy?
· What insight/epiphany is gained by Katie on Christmas?
Chapter 28:
· What impact does the death of Henny Gaddis have on Francie? Why?
· What new profession does Francie decide to pursue?
Chapter 30:
· How are women portrayed in this chapter?
· According to Francie, how are men and women different? 3. What effect do the women’s treatment of Joanna have on Francie?
Chapter 32:
· Why do you think Francie keeps a journal? What does this tell us about her character?
· It is mentioned several times in Chapter 32, that “papa came home sick”. How is he sick? What does Francie think about this? How is it affecting her and her family?
· The chapter closes with Francie questioning her curiosity about sex. What does this curiosity show us about Francie and the state of her growth/maturity?
Chapter 33:
· What happens to Francie in Chapter 33? How is she saved?
· What is significant about how and who saves Francie? What does it say about that character and her relationship with Francie?
· Where was Johnny when “trouble found Francie”? What was he doing? How does this situation parallel the Nolan’s life? (ie: Who is there to save Francie/pick up the pieces? Who isn’t and why?)
· Who is romantically interested in Katie? How is he different from Johnny?
[General Questions about Chapters 16-33]
· We see a lot of imagery around “dirt” and “dirty things”. What do you think this symbolizes? (ie: vaccinations, etc).
· Why is voting so important, as discussed in chapter 24 and using your own inferences?
· What kinds of changes do you recognize in Katie? Johnny? Francie?
· Why does Katie love Neeley more than Francie? How does she show it?
· What role does music play in the novel? What is the effect of using the device of music?
· How do we see Francie growing up? In what ways does she realize that she is growing up?
Chapter 34:
· What life-changing action does Sissy take? How does this affect her? Why is this significant?
· What lie does Sissy tell? Why do you think she tells the lie?
· What big news does Katie tell Johnny?
Chapter 35:
· In this chapter we see Francie begin to question God – why? What does this indicate about her?
Chapter 36:
· What happens to Johnny? How?
· How does this affect them financially? What do they do about the costs?
· Why doesn’t Katie want the doctor to write “acute alcoholism” as the cause of death? Why and to whom is it significant that she wants to change the cause of death?
Chapter 37:
· How is Katie dealing with the death of Johnny? How does his death and her reaction affect the Nolan family as a whole?
· In what ways does Francie challenge religion and God? What do you think this says about the way she sees the world and her maturity? How does this speak to the genre “Coming of Age”?
· At the end of the chapter Katie proclaims, “From now on, I am your mother and your father.” Do you think this is a new role for Katie? Why or why not?
Chapter 38:
· Who does Francie not want to return to school? What does this say about her since we know how much she loves school? What does she view as more important?
· Why is Katie so against accepting charity? What does she equate it to?
· Why does McGarrity decide to help Katie and her children? How does he decide to do this?
· Why would talking about Johnny “stir McGarrity’s manhood”? What does talking about Johnny do for McGarrity emotionally? And why does Katie refuse to let him come back to talk when he asks?
Chapter 39:
· For what does Miss Garnder reprimand Francie in regards to her writing subject? What does she suggest instead and what does Francie think about this? What does this situation say about adults and the expectation that they are infalliable? Who is more “right” in this situation and why do you think that?
· What do you think influences Miss Gardner's perspective and what do you think influences Francie’s? How do these elements differ?
· Why does Francie take such offense to the word sordid?And how does she turn this offense into a creative outlet?
· Why does Francie believe that Katie does not love her the way that she loves Neely? What evidence proves that she is right? By the end of the chapter, what conclusion does Francie draw about this?
Chapter 40:
· What is worrying Francie at the beginning of chapter 40?
· Describe what stands out to you in this scene.
Chapter 41:
· What about the world is changing, as Francie observes by working at McGarrity’s? Why is this significant? (There are 2 biggies! – Be sure to address both!)
Chapter 42:
· Why didn’t Katie attend Francie’s graduation? Who went with Francie instead?
· What happened with the flowers? What does that indicate about Johnny’s character and the relationship that he and his daughter shared? What do the roses symbolize?
· Why do you think that Francie stopped turning in her English work?
· Why is it important to Katie to allow her family (and herself) to “feel like millionaires” in the ice cream shop?
End of Book III:
· Jot down 3 or 4 ways that you notice that Francie has changed from the beginning of the book. How is it apparent? Do you think that Francie notices the change(s)?
BOOK IV
Chapter 43:
· What job does Francie start and how does she like it? What factors contribute to how she feels about her job?
· How does what happens to her at work with the other girls mirror her childhood? Why do you think she tends to be outcasted?
· Why is it such a big deal to Francie and Neeley to be able to give their pay to Katie? How does Katie react and how does it symbolize the gesture’s importance to her?
Chapter 44:
· In this chapter we see Francie becoming “disappointed” with many things that intrigued her as a child? What does this change mark in her? Why is it significant that she sees herself growing more cynical with the world?
· After the layoff at the factory, what job does Francie take and why does this suit her better than the last job?
· What is the situation with Francie and Neeley’s high school education? Why does one get to go and not the other? Do you think that the decision has more to do with gender or favoritism?
· What realization does Francie make about her relationship with her mother and how, by the end of the chapter, has their relationship changed?
Chapter 45:
· How is the Christmas holiday of 1916 different than the one described in the beginning of the book? What things have changed for the Nolans?
· How does Francie’s memory of and feelings towards Johnny begin to change in this chapter? Do you think it is because she is forgetting or it is because she is growing up and understands his point of view a bit better?
· What role does religion play in Francie’s life?
Chapter 46:
· How has music been used and what has it symbolized in the novel? Give some examples to support your claim. (Not all of the examples have to be from this chapter alone.)
· In this particular scene, how do Katie, Francie and Neeley feel about alcohol? How have their opinions been tainted by their history with it and Johnny’s history with it? What conclusions do they draw about it in the end?
· Why is Brooklyn a “magic city” to Francie?
Chapter 47:
· Briefly describe what transpires with Sissy in this chapter.
· What is the significance of Steve insisting that the family call him by his real name?
Chapter 48:
· Name 3 ways that the war (World War I) has affected Francie directly.
· About what do Katie and Francie fight in terms of Francie’s education?
Chapter 49:
· Who is Ben Blake? How is he significant to Francie?
Chapter 50:
· What happens with Sissy’s newborn baby? What do they fear and how is it solved?
· What happens to Uncle Willie Flittman?
Chapter 51:
· Instead of delving into one character’s situation, in this chapter we are privy to several less significant events in the lives of many characters. Why do you think Smith wrote this chapter this way? How does it help the reader understand what is going on?
· Name 3 things we learn about the lives of the characters in this chapter.
Chapter 52:
· Who is Lee Rynor and what romantic snafu exists in Francie and him carrying out a relationship together?
· How does Francie see Lee like Katie saw Johnny?
· Why is Lee leaving? Where is he going and how does he leave off with Francie?
· What does it say about Francie that she refuses to spend the night with Lee? Why do you think she refuses?
Chapter 53:
· What devastating news does Francie receive about Lee and how does she learn of it?
· When Francie is devastated, to whom does she turn? What does this say about their relationship? Does it show a change?
Chapter 54:
· What big news comes for Katie and how do Francie and Neeley feel about it? And how does this news affect Laurie?
· What conclusion does Francie make at the end of the chapter about how she grew up versus how Laurie will grow up? How does she feel about the difference between the two?
BOOK V
Chapter 55:
· List two sad things that happen in this chapter and two joyous things that happen.
· How is Ben different from Lee?
Chapter 56:
· How does Francie expose Charlie (of Cheap Charlie’s) out of his scam? (And how does she have the means to do so?)
· In what ways does Neeley remind Francie of Johnny?
· As Francie is getting ready for her date with Ben, what does she notice and why is it significant? How does it bring the novel full circle?
End of the novel questions:
· Francie observes more than once that women seem to hate other women ("they stuck together for only one thing: to trample on some other woman"), while men, even if they hate each other, stick together against the world. Do you find this to be an accurate portrayal of society? Why do you think this to be true? By including this in her novel, what commentary do you think Smith is making on the differences between men and women and how they behave socially?
· The women in the Nolan/Rommely clan exhibit most of the strength and, whenever humanly possible, control the family's destiny. In what ways does Francie continue this legacy?
· Could it be argued that the main character of the book is not Francie but, in fact, Brooklyn itself? What case could be made for this?
· Having studying extensively the definition of “Coming of Age” stories this past semester, how can A Tree Grows in Brooklyn be categorized as such? What about this story and its protagonist make it a “Coming of Age” tale? What choices/experiences help Francie to grow up and see the world differently than she had before?
Author: Betty Smith
Directions: Answer the following discussion questions in complete sentences. It is recommended that you answer the questions as you read, as opposed to reading the entire work and then doing all of the questions at the end. Be sure to look past the obvious information and ‘dig deep’ for the analytical questions.
BOOK I
Chapter 1:
· What is the Tree of Heaven and how is it described? What do we know about it? Why is it special?
· What is the Saturday “ritual” for Francie and Neeley? Explain.
· Describe the financial situation of the Nolans. How do you know? Give examples of indicators of their socioeconomic status.
Chapter 2:
· Describe Francie’s feelings when she is in the library. What does this reveal about her character?
· Compare Flossie with Aunt Sissy.
Chapter 3:
· What does Francie learn about her father as she listens to him thinking out loud? Give examples.
· Describe Francie’s relationship with her father.
Chapter 4:
· Why is Francie fascinated with Floss Gaddis?
· As she admires Flossie, why does Francie all of a sudden begin to “grow uneasy.”
Chapter 5
· Who is Francie’s favorite Aunt? Why/how do you know?
· Give evidence that Katie Nolan is a practical woman.
· Explain the significance of “pickle day.” What does this reveal about Francie’s character?
Chapter 6:
· Francie and Neeley must obey Katie’s “nightly rule.” Explain. What is the significance of this rule?
· What is the significance of “Molly Malone”?
BOOK II
Chapter 7: FLASHBACK TO 12 YRS EARLIER
· Describe Mary Rommely. Compare the Rommely daughters.
· “Those were the Rommely women ...They were all slender, frail creatures with wondering eyes and soft fluttery voices. But they were made out of thin visible steel.” Explain truth/falsity of this passage.
Chapter 8:
· What is significant about the Nolan boys?
· Describe Francie’s character in detail, using the passages in page 71-72. What makes her unique from the rest of the Nolans and Rommelys?
Chapter 9:
· After the birth of Francie, Mary Rommely “wept” and Katie Nolan became “frantic with worry.” Why?
· What important values are passed on to Katie Nolan in the hopes of making “a different world” for Francie? What would this “different world” be like? Explain.
· Explain how the library of Francie was started.
Chapter 10:
· Why could Katie’s no longer breastfeed all of a sudden?
· Describe Johnny’s reaction after learning the news of Katie’s pregnancy.
· What views about life do you think the author is portraying? Explain.
Chapter 11:
· What is Katie implying when she tells Sissy, “I’m not forgetting that you are my sister. And I hope you remembered that too?”
· What evidence is given in this chapter that Katie abides by Christian values?
Chapter 12:
· Why does Katie insist on moving? What does this reveal about her character?
· Why does Katie insist on being a housemaid?
[General Questions about Chapters 9-12]
· How do you define “Sacrifice”. In this novel, who sacrifices and how?
· How does Mary Rommley define “education.” What does this say about her character?
· How are Thomas Rommley and Johnny Nolan alike?
· What transpires between Sissy and Johnny? Do you think that what Sissy does is wrong? Why do you think she does it?
Chapter 13:
· What makes Francie unique from other children?
· What wisdom about children is revealed in this chapter?
· How does Francie deal with her isolation?
Chapter 14:
· What is revealed about Sissy’s character in this chapter? Give examples to support your reasoning.
· Do you think Katie is justified in forbidding Sissy to come to the house? Explain your reasoning.
· How does Katie deal with her sister’s irresponsibility?
BOOK III
Chapter 15:
· What miracle does Francie find in her new home?
What do Francie’s tears reveal?
Chapter 16:
· Explain the “mystery of the Orient in Brooklyn.”
Chapter 17:
· Katie is a very practical and intelligent mother. Explain the truth/falsity of this statemtent.
· Compare and contrast Katie’s and Johnny’s determination. Explain.
Chapter 18:
· Why does Katie insist on making the children go alone to the doctor’s office? What does this reveal about her character?
· What is the significance of Francie’s trip to the doctor’s office?
· Contrast Katie’s “parenting style” with that of Johnny’s. What do you think accounts for this difference?
Chapter 19:
· Francie expected great things from school, but was soon disappointed. Give examples of Francie’s disappointments during her school experiences.
· What is ironic about the way teachers treat the poor children?
· Who comes to Francie’s rescue? How?
· What Christian value is strongly emphasized in this chapter?
Chapter 20:
· How is poverty emphasized in this chapter? Give examples.
· What actions are taken by Katie in order to prevent her children from diseases?
· How do Francie’s school experiences affect her?
· In what ways are Francie’s school experiences similar to yours? Different?
Chapter 21:
· What metaphor does Betty Smith use to describe Francie’s school experiences?
Chapter 22:
· How does Francie overcome her loneliness?
· Which aspect of Francie’s character is emphasized in this chapter? What impact do you think it has (and will have) on her life?
Chapter 23:
· What is revealed about Francie’s relationship with Johnny? How is it different from her relationship with Katie? Give examples.
· Why was getting into the new school such a good thing for Francie?
Chapter 24:
· In what ways is are politics similar today? Different?
Chapter 25:
· How does Johnny’s drinking affect his relationship with Francie?
· What view of America is portrayed by the author?
Chapter 26:
· How does Thanksgiving Day change Francie’s life?
· What advice does the teacher give Francie? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
Chapter 27:
· Explain the significance of the tree that Francie and Neeley won.
· Why is Katie upset at Christmas, when everyone is so happy?
· What insight/epiphany is gained by Katie on Christmas?
Chapter 28:
· What impact does the death of Henny Gaddis have on Francie? Why?
· What new profession does Francie decide to pursue?
Chapter 30:
· How are women portrayed in this chapter?
· According to Francie, how are men and women different? 3. What effect do the women’s treatment of Joanna have on Francie?
Chapter 32:
· Why do you think Francie keeps a journal? What does this tell us about her character?
· It is mentioned several times in Chapter 32, that “papa came home sick”. How is he sick? What does Francie think about this? How is it affecting her and her family?
· The chapter closes with Francie questioning her curiosity about sex. What does this curiosity show us about Francie and the state of her growth/maturity?
Chapter 33:
· What happens to Francie in Chapter 33? How is she saved?
· What is significant about how and who saves Francie? What does it say about that character and her relationship with Francie?
· Where was Johnny when “trouble found Francie”? What was he doing? How does this situation parallel the Nolan’s life? (ie: Who is there to save Francie/pick up the pieces? Who isn’t and why?)
· Who is romantically interested in Katie? How is he different from Johnny?
[General Questions about Chapters 16-33]
· We see a lot of imagery around “dirt” and “dirty things”. What do you think this symbolizes? (ie: vaccinations, etc).
· Why is voting so important, as discussed in chapter 24 and using your own inferences?
· What kinds of changes do you recognize in Katie? Johnny? Francie?
· Why does Katie love Neeley more than Francie? How does she show it?
· What role does music play in the novel? What is the effect of using the device of music?
· How do we see Francie growing up? In what ways does she realize that she is growing up?
Chapter 34:
· What life-changing action does Sissy take? How does this affect her? Why is this significant?
· What lie does Sissy tell? Why do you think she tells the lie?
· What big news does Katie tell Johnny?
Chapter 35:
· In this chapter we see Francie begin to question God – why? What does this indicate about her?
Chapter 36:
· What happens to Johnny? How?
· How does this affect them financially? What do they do about the costs?
· Why doesn’t Katie want the doctor to write “acute alcoholism” as the cause of death? Why and to whom is it significant that she wants to change the cause of death?
Chapter 37:
· How is Katie dealing with the death of Johnny? How does his death and her reaction affect the Nolan family as a whole?
· In what ways does Francie challenge religion and God? What do you think this says about the way she sees the world and her maturity? How does this speak to the genre “Coming of Age”?
· At the end of the chapter Katie proclaims, “From now on, I am your mother and your father.” Do you think this is a new role for Katie? Why or why not?
Chapter 38:
· Who does Francie not want to return to school? What does this say about her since we know how much she loves school? What does she view as more important?
· Why is Katie so against accepting charity? What does she equate it to?
· Why does McGarrity decide to help Katie and her children? How does he decide to do this?
· Why would talking about Johnny “stir McGarrity’s manhood”? What does talking about Johnny do for McGarrity emotionally? And why does Katie refuse to let him come back to talk when he asks?
Chapter 39:
· For what does Miss Garnder reprimand Francie in regards to her writing subject? What does she suggest instead and what does Francie think about this? What does this situation say about adults and the expectation that they are infalliable? Who is more “right” in this situation and why do you think that?
· What do you think influences Miss Gardner's perspective and what do you think influences Francie’s? How do these elements differ?
· Why does Francie take such offense to the word sordid?And how does she turn this offense into a creative outlet?
· Why does Francie believe that Katie does not love her the way that she loves Neely? What evidence proves that she is right? By the end of the chapter, what conclusion does Francie draw about this?
Chapter 40:
· What is worrying Francie at the beginning of chapter 40?
· Describe what stands out to you in this scene.
Chapter 41:
· What about the world is changing, as Francie observes by working at McGarrity’s? Why is this significant? (There are 2 biggies! – Be sure to address both!)
Chapter 42:
· Why didn’t Katie attend Francie’s graduation? Who went with Francie instead?
· What happened with the flowers? What does that indicate about Johnny’s character and the relationship that he and his daughter shared? What do the roses symbolize?
· Why do you think that Francie stopped turning in her English work?
· Why is it important to Katie to allow her family (and herself) to “feel like millionaires” in the ice cream shop?
End of Book III:
· Jot down 3 or 4 ways that you notice that Francie has changed from the beginning of the book. How is it apparent? Do you think that Francie notices the change(s)?
BOOK IV
Chapter 43:
· What job does Francie start and how does she like it? What factors contribute to how she feels about her job?
· How does what happens to her at work with the other girls mirror her childhood? Why do you think she tends to be outcasted?
· Why is it such a big deal to Francie and Neeley to be able to give their pay to Katie? How does Katie react and how does it symbolize the gesture’s importance to her?
Chapter 44:
· In this chapter we see Francie becoming “disappointed” with many things that intrigued her as a child? What does this change mark in her? Why is it significant that she sees herself growing more cynical with the world?
· After the layoff at the factory, what job does Francie take and why does this suit her better than the last job?
· What is the situation with Francie and Neeley’s high school education? Why does one get to go and not the other? Do you think that the decision has more to do with gender or favoritism?
· What realization does Francie make about her relationship with her mother and how, by the end of the chapter, has their relationship changed?
Chapter 45:
· How is the Christmas holiday of 1916 different than the one described in the beginning of the book? What things have changed for the Nolans?
· How does Francie’s memory of and feelings towards Johnny begin to change in this chapter? Do you think it is because she is forgetting or it is because she is growing up and understands his point of view a bit better?
· What role does religion play in Francie’s life?
Chapter 46:
· How has music been used and what has it symbolized in the novel? Give some examples to support your claim. (Not all of the examples have to be from this chapter alone.)
· In this particular scene, how do Katie, Francie and Neeley feel about alcohol? How have their opinions been tainted by their history with it and Johnny’s history with it? What conclusions do they draw about it in the end?
· Why is Brooklyn a “magic city” to Francie?
Chapter 47:
· Briefly describe what transpires with Sissy in this chapter.
· What is the significance of Steve insisting that the family call him by his real name?
Chapter 48:
· Name 3 ways that the war (World War I) has affected Francie directly.
· About what do Katie and Francie fight in terms of Francie’s education?
Chapter 49:
· Who is Ben Blake? How is he significant to Francie?
Chapter 50:
· What happens with Sissy’s newborn baby? What do they fear and how is it solved?
· What happens to Uncle Willie Flittman?
Chapter 51:
· Instead of delving into one character’s situation, in this chapter we are privy to several less significant events in the lives of many characters. Why do you think Smith wrote this chapter this way? How does it help the reader understand what is going on?
· Name 3 things we learn about the lives of the characters in this chapter.
Chapter 52:
· Who is Lee Rynor and what romantic snafu exists in Francie and him carrying out a relationship together?
· How does Francie see Lee like Katie saw Johnny?
· Why is Lee leaving? Where is he going and how does he leave off with Francie?
· What does it say about Francie that she refuses to spend the night with Lee? Why do you think she refuses?
Chapter 53:
· What devastating news does Francie receive about Lee and how does she learn of it?
· When Francie is devastated, to whom does she turn? What does this say about their relationship? Does it show a change?
Chapter 54:
· What big news comes for Katie and how do Francie and Neeley feel about it? And how does this news affect Laurie?
· What conclusion does Francie make at the end of the chapter about how she grew up versus how Laurie will grow up? How does she feel about the difference between the two?
BOOK V
Chapter 55:
· List two sad things that happen in this chapter and two joyous things that happen.
· How is Ben different from Lee?
Chapter 56:
· How does Francie expose Charlie (of Cheap Charlie’s) out of his scam? (And how does she have the means to do so?)
· In what ways does Neeley remind Francie of Johnny?
· As Francie is getting ready for her date with Ben, what does she notice and why is it significant? How does it bring the novel full circle?
End of the novel questions:
· Francie observes more than once that women seem to hate other women ("they stuck together for only one thing: to trample on some other woman"), while men, even if they hate each other, stick together against the world. Do you find this to be an accurate portrayal of society? Why do you think this to be true? By including this in her novel, what commentary do you think Smith is making on the differences between men and women and how they behave socially?
· The women in the Nolan/Rommely clan exhibit most of the strength and, whenever humanly possible, control the family's destiny. In what ways does Francie continue this legacy?
· Could it be argued that the main character of the book is not Francie but, in fact, Brooklyn itself? What case could be made for this?
· Having studying extensively the definition of “Coming of Age” stories this past semester, how can A Tree Grows in Brooklyn be categorized as such? What about this story and its protagonist make it a “Coming of Age” tale? What choices/experiences help Francie to grow up and see the world differently than she had before?