Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Poverty and Alcoholism

Poverty

There are some nasty characters in this book, but none of them really are that big of a deal to Francie. Even her attack by the sexual predator doesn't break Francie's stride for long. She is super resilient.

The biggest struggles for Francie come from being poor. Poverty causes the overcrowded schools, a mother who is too busy working, inadequate food. If she weren't poor, she wouldn’t spend Christmas Eve asking that a tree get thrown at her head; and if she weren't poor, she would have started high school on time.

Through A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, struggles can be traced back to poverty time and time again. Poverty makes a nasty nemesis.

Alcoholism

Francie is very affected by her father’s addiction to alcohol. Check out the storm that Papa’s alcoholism rains on her:

• She does not have a reliable father in her life. 
• Mama has to work endless hours to pick up Papa’s slack, so she doesn’t really have a mom around much of the time. 
• Papa dies very young, and Francie is left without the parent who, while not always there, was still the most affectionate to her. 
• Francie has to work instead of start high school to support the family, because Papa isn’t there to do it. 

 Gee thanks, alcohol.