Katie Nolan
A man named Jimmy Little once said, “Life's only what you make it.” An individual's life consists of all the choices they make. No matter the amount of wealth or the number of friends, happiness in one's life is up to them. Katie Nolan, in Betty Smith’s, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, meets challenges and overcomes obstacles involving her family's struggle with poverty. Poverty limits the Nolan’s everyday life, but that does not stop them from being happy and enjoying themselves. Poverty also encourages Katie to keep striving for the best, instead of holding her back. Katie continuously works hard for her children and pushes them to have a substantial education for their futures, while also creating little bits of hope and happiness …show more content…
She believed that the more knowledge someone had, the more successful people were in life. When her children were younger, she would read them a page from Shakespeare and a page from The Bible every night before they went to sleep. As they grew older, they were told to read them on their own. She made them do this to ensure they would already have some education while growing up. After Francie and Neeley both had jobs, Katie sent Neeley back to high school; even though, he had no interest in going back. Having more education allowed Neeley to have a better future, with a higher paying job. At the same time, Francie desperately wanted to go back to school because of how much she loved it, but Katie could not afford both of them going to school again. She did this to Francie because she knew she had to make Neeley return to school or else he never would. She was positive that Francie could find her own way back on her own. Katie said, “Because if I don't make him, he'll never go back. Where you, Francie, will fight and manage somehow.” (Page 385) Francie ended up getting into college after all. What Katie did, clearly demonstrates how much she truly cared for her children’s futures to be successful and full of knowledge, to prevent them from being in poverty later
A man named Jimmy Little once said, “Life's only what you make it.” An individual's life consists of all the choices they make. No matter the amount of wealth or the number of friends, happiness in one's life is up to them. Katie Nolan, in Betty Smith’s, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, meets challenges and overcomes obstacles involving her family's struggle with poverty. Poverty limits the Nolan’s everyday life, but that does not stop them from being happy and enjoying themselves. Poverty also encourages Katie to keep striving for the best, instead of holding her back. Katie continuously works hard for her children and pushes them to have a substantial education for their futures, while also creating little bits of hope and happiness …show more content…
She believed that the more knowledge someone had, the more successful people were in life. When her children were younger, she would read them a page from Shakespeare and a page from The Bible every night before they went to sleep. As they grew older, they were told to read them on their own. She made them do this to ensure they would already have some education while growing up. After Francie and Neeley both had jobs, Katie sent Neeley back to high school; even though, he had no interest in going back. Having more education allowed Neeley to have a better future, with a higher paying job. At the same time, Francie desperately wanted to go back to school because of how much she loved it, but Katie could not afford both of them going to school again. She did this to Francie because she knew she had to make Neeley return to school or else he never would. She was positive that Francie could find her own way back on her own. Katie said, “Because if I don't make him, he'll never go back. Where you, Francie, will fight and manage somehow.” (Page 385) Francie ended up getting into college after all. What Katie did, clearly demonstrates how much she truly cared for her children’s futures to be successful and full of knowledge, to prevent them from being in poverty later