A Tree Grows In Brooklyn Coming Of Age Analysis

In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Francie makes the inevitable transition from young girl to mature woman after multiple losses and moments of gain. The majority of young children, past and present, are not as emotionally mature as a functioning of age member of society. The time of “coming of age” is defined by when a person has a sudden change of heart and makes well thought-out decisions similar to those of a mature adult, which is what that person most often becomes. Francie “comes of age” through significant events in her life such as the loss of her father, the metaphorical loss of her dreams, adolescence,and trust, and the reformation of her current family. The death of anyone personally important is a major loss, especially to someone who is as emotionally impressionable as a child such as Francie. However, despite her emotional vulnerability, she and her brother do not automatically weep. Before the death of Johnny Nolan, Francie already had major responsibilities thrust upon her due to his familial neglect. His death had officialized those responsibilities and added to their importance. When grief did strike Francie …show more content…
Because of Laurie, both Francie and Neely get jobs straight out of school. This creates even more responsibility for the both of due to the fact they had to ascertain jobs for themselves. Francie desperately wanted to back to school but realized she would have to earn it herself, By seeking out the college summer classes, she became more self-reliant than she would have been, because she managed to find a balance between supporting herself and her family. When Sergeant McShane came along, she and Neely no longer had to bear the family’s financial burden. Being able to take care of herself, she became independent and was able to pursue whatever she wanted without having to constantly worry for her