A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Paper

I. Intro divide a. Hook In the Irish American alliance of Brooklyn in the 1900s, immigrants faced discrimination and crushing pauperism b. In the origination that Betty Smith describes in A point Grows in Brooklyn however, this poverty is render as a kind of virtue, a force that causes individuals to grow, and families to bond c. Yet, fleck female characters like Katie and Francie grow from overcoming the spartanships brought on by poverty, Francies become grayback Nolan is frustrated by it and ends up dying of alcoholism.In the 1900s, grammatical sex activity roles and well-disposed expectations of men and women were more than rigid than today, and both sexes were supposed to stay at heart gender boundaries d. In telling the story of Katie and freedom fighter Nolan, Betty Smith reveals how a great deal terms immigrant women like Katie, who went against gender stereotypes, survived and grew from the hardships of poverty, while men like Johnny, who tried to fulfill their gender role, were defeated by it. II. 1ST Body split up a. In the beginning of the novel, he has found a communication channel, unless it is as a low paying waiter and unstable.Even so, he dresses with style, is handsome, and seems content universe a singing waiter. He is able to bring home coin to his wife, Katie. His daughter, Francie always functions him embark on his bow tie on and he calls her pre-Madonna, accordingly she eagerly awaits his return with her brother Neely, for he always bring stick protrude treats like caviar and oysters. They are a happy family. However, Johnny loses his job and his family becomes more and more hungry, but he cant help them. He cant find another job i.In the archeozoic 1900s, men were supposed to provide for their family, but as Johnny Nolan illustrates, this was hard for immigrant men. ii. Perhaps not organism in control and not being able to bring home m 1y to his family shufflings him feel like a waste and a failure, for as the story goes on, he drinks more and more until he dies of alcoholism. Katie tries to help her husband, She told him it was a good thing, that suffering would harden him, would train him such a lesson that hed stop drinking. But light Johnny just wouldnt harden. (P. 98) iii.Johnny grew up with the gender stereotype of the valet de chambre of the house being the breadwinner, and in the Irish American community in Brooklyn, he cannot fulfill this role. III. 2ND Body paragraph i. Yet, Katie has no prime(a) and even though the modify job she finds does not pay well, she goes break to work ii. In contrast, Katie, Francies mother, is able to overcome poverty because she breaks d possessward(a) the gender stereotypes of what a married woman should do in her time Katie goes out of the house to work. At that time, were expected to stay home and be cared for while caring for the children iii.Yet, Katie has no choice and even though the cleaning job she finds does not pay well, she g oes out to work. Thus, as she faces poverty, we see Katie put up to the challenge by being supple. In contrast to Johnny, she is able to fuck poverty as a learning experience and change. At one point she says to passersby, Look at that tree growing up in that respect out of that grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. Its growing out of sour earth. And its strong because its hard struggle to live is qualification it strong.My children will be strong that way. IV. 3RD Body paragraph a. Johnny and Katie Nolan, exemplify a theme of gender difference in the overcoming of poverty for immigrants i. Katie is flexible and able to adapt, so she eventually obtains a better life. She does not stay within her gender role of remaining in the house, but goes out to work. In contrast, Johnny is unable to be as flexible and his stubbornness in keeping within his gender role and his own idea of his responsibility to his family eventually destroys him ii.Betty Smith does not judg e Johnny in her novel, but rather portrays him as a sympathetic and highly likeable, but he is a conflicted and ultimately tragic character. V. Conclusion paragraph a. In the patriarchal society of the early 1900s that Betty Smith describes in her book A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, it would seem logical if women did not fair as well as men in time of difficulty. After all women had fewer rights. They could not vote or get the same wages as men i. By going against gender stereotypes, Katie is able to persevere and overcome poverty, while her husband, Johnny Nolan, who tries to follow them, is defeated iii.In 2012 many women have depressed gender boundaries Hilary Clinton is Secretary of state, Lady screwball and Beyonce are millionaires and international pop stars. Men too have broken out of gender stereotypes for it is socially acceptable for men to work at home and even earn less than women. In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, however, Betty Smith captures a world, gone now, in which stri ct gender roles defined a persons life. But for immigrants, trying to make a start in America, the need to adapt and go against these gender roles was critical.