Literary Devices in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Do you have a trip planned to visit Brooklyn? Good news—if you carry this book with you, it’s probably just as good as a map, so save your dollars to buy a bag of nuts from a street vendor inst...
Narrator Point of View
Point of View Broadens the StoryEven though at times, the narrator feels like an older, wiser Francie, our narrator is clearly outside the story since we can hear what is going on inside many of ch...
Genre
Historical FictionIf we use the broadest lens, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the story of a very specific time and place. Because Betty Smith has good instincts for including details from the time, w...
Tone
Let’s come up with the tone in three easy steps. Step 1: Determine the subject matter. Generally speaking, what is the book about? It is about a young girl and her family who live in Brooklyn. Ok...
Writing Style
Honest and SympatheticSmith is very honest in her writing and consistently tells it like it is. We know Mama loves Neeley more than she loves Francie because Smith comes right out and tells us “I...
What's Up With the Title?
While it is true that you will read a little bit about an actual tree that grows in Brooklyn, don’t worry—this book isn't all about the tree and how it grows. Phew, right? That would be a total...
What's Up With the Ending?
The end of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ties things up nicely and slaps a pretty bow on top. Seriously—things come together pretty neatly.Francie is off to college at the University of Michigan at An...
Tough-o-Meter
No sweat, Shmoopians—you’ve totally got this. You aren’t going to be dictionary.com-ing this book too much, and Betty Smith isn't all about showing off her huge vocab or writing things in a c...
Plot Analysis
Hello—is it Tree You're Looking For?Ah, good ol’ Williamsburg, Brooklyn on a sunny Saturday in the poorest of tenements at the turn-of-the twentieth century. Wait—this isn't your idea of pa...
Trivia
Betty Smith didn’t write this in Brooklyn. Nope—she moved to North Carolina in the 1930s to work at the University of North Carolina, and this is where she started writing A Tree Grows in Brook...
Allusions
“Molly Malone” (This song is frequently sung by Papa when he returns home at the end of the night.) “Annie Laurie” (15.31, 40.148)“Call me Up Some Rainy Afternoon” (15.36)“Sweet...