The Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Theme)

Betty Smith tells of a story of a girl living in poverty. The theme of poverty is relayed throughout the book. Not only is poverty a big theme in the book, but Betty also includes other themes such as class, how gender changes relations, perseverance through hardship, and especially the use to the American Dream. All of these themes are paralleled in the real world. Poverty is very much around especially with the economy these days. In an example where “Sissy was [a] tricycle standing there unattended in front of a stoop. She didn’t hesitate. She took the tricycle, pulled it around to the Nolan house, got the children out and gave them a ride” (116). Where Sissy, Francie’s aunt, took the tricycle just to give the kids the joy of riding on a brand new tricycle. In the society Francie lives in class has to do with everything and in the our society although it doesn’t play as big a role people still care about class more than they care to let on. The representation of the “American Dream” in the book has an underlying effect of the out look on the book. The themes in this book represent the real world.