A Response to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Slowly, you walk along the crowded streets, longing that your parents would’ve taken the time out of their busy lives to walk you to your first day of kindergarten. Once you finally arrive you are blown away with the expectations that begin to weigh you down. As you think that you are innocent and haven’t done anything to deserve this torture of school, little do you know of what is soon to come. When people age, their knowledge grows and their innocence slowly turns in to experience. The novel A Tree Grow in Brooklyn examines the process of changing from innocence to experience.
While Francie is still an innocent, she goes out to buy bread for her family, when she sees a very old man. “He yawned. He had no teeth. She watched, fascinated and revolted, as he closed he mouth, drew his lips inward until there was no mouth, and made his chin come up to almost meet his nose.” Unlike most people innocent little children have the time to make such detailed observations about a topic that is normally just brushed by. Francie actually takes the time to observe these minor details in fascination let alone wonder and curiosity. As someone matures and becomes more experienced they lose a lot of their curiosity and fascination for such nonessential things.
As Francie is still innocent she slowly starts to see the “real world.” Brooklyn is not what is seems to be; it is not a safe and secure city. There are people that may not be completely bad but have terrible intensions. Once this is recognized the little innocent girl in the beginning of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, disappears. This little girl is no longer comforted by her father as he passes on and the thought of never seeing him again scares her. In life people begin to change and though it is ever so subtle, it is easily recognized as them becoming an adult. Never is the innocence of a child gone even as they become older.
Though Francie is still a child she almost completely loses her innocence as it becomes experience. After several years of challenges and a younger sister being born, Francie starts to act as an adult and make her own decisions. She now longer looks to her parents for guidance. During the summer Francie takes classes, at which she meets Ben who becomes a friend to her quickly. Francie clearly starts to behave in an experience way when she meets Lee. As Francie and Lee become closer it forces her to make certain life changing decisions for herself with no one to correct her. Although before she knows it Francie loses Lee and when Ben returns from college they pick up where they left off. Even though Francie loved Lee she learns that she can love Ben too.
Being an innocent is pure bliss, not a thing in the world stopping you from the fun of life. Then you become slightly more experienced and it seems as if you are holding the world’s weight upon your shoulders. With experience comes a lot of different things, responsibility for one. In addition you may become responsible for, yet another innocent little child and must help them through their journey.
While Francie is still an innocent, she goes out to buy bread for her family, when she sees a very old man. “He yawned. He had no teeth. She watched, fascinated and revolted, as he closed he mouth, drew his lips inward until there was no mouth, and made his chin come up to almost meet his nose.” Unlike most people innocent little children have the time to make such detailed observations about a topic that is normally just brushed by. Francie actually takes the time to observe these minor details in fascination let alone wonder and curiosity. As someone matures and becomes more experienced they lose a lot of their curiosity and fascination for such nonessential things.
As Francie is still innocent she slowly starts to see the “real world.” Brooklyn is not what is seems to be; it is not a safe and secure city. There are people that may not be completely bad but have terrible intensions. Once this is recognized the little innocent girl in the beginning of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, disappears. This little girl is no longer comforted by her father as he passes on and the thought of never seeing him again scares her. In life people begin to change and though it is ever so subtle, it is easily recognized as them becoming an adult. Never is the innocence of a child gone even as they become older.
Though Francie is still a child she almost completely loses her innocence as it becomes experience. After several years of challenges and a younger sister being born, Francie starts to act as an adult and make her own decisions. She now longer looks to her parents for guidance. During the summer Francie takes classes, at which she meets Ben who becomes a friend to her quickly. Francie clearly starts to behave in an experience way when she meets Lee. As Francie and Lee become closer it forces her to make certain life changing decisions for herself with no one to correct her. Although before she knows it Francie loses Lee and when Ben returns from college they pick up where they left off. Even though Francie loved Lee she learns that she can love Ben too.
Being an innocent is pure bliss, not a thing in the world stopping you from the fun of life. Then you become slightly more experienced and it seems as if you are holding the world’s weight upon your shoulders. With experience comes a lot of different things, responsibility for one. In addition you may become responsible for, yet another innocent little child and must help them through their journey.
