Joy In The Morning Analysis

Powering through hard times can change even the strongest of people, for the better or for the worst. In the novels Maggie-Now and Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith, many characters demonstrate that enduring hardships lead to one being more self-aware. Insecurity, coming of age and resentment are all symptoms that characters in the novels endure during hard times.
Feeling insecure can take a toll and discourage anyone. In Maggie-Now one of the main characters Patrick Dennis made a move to a new country that he has never been to before. "He walked the unaccustomed streets for hours. His heart wept for his familiar Irish village. He was lost and terrified. He was friendless and didn 't know where to go. It was worse than being lost in a fast …show more content…
Annie had always been a city girl so moving to a small college town was a hard adjustment for her. "She had changed her mind when some classes let out. Most of the coeds wore what was almost a uniform: dark heated skirts, loose pullover sweaters, a string of pearls, saddle shoes and socks. And she felt out of place in her city clothes. I 'll never be one of them, she thought sadly. I 'll never belong." (Smith, 49). Annie did not dress or speak like the people from the small town and she did not attend the university so ultimately she did not fit in. Annie also felt insecure about the amount of education she received. "Annie 's home was pretty untidy. But then both Annie and her mother worked away from home" (Smith,15). Annie had few years in school and did not feel like she belonged in the college town because most people there were students at the university studying law, along with her husband and were highly educated. Moving to a small town was hard for Annie which sparked her to reveal her