Symbolism In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

In the historical fiction novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Francie grows up in the tenements of Brooklyn. She lives in a time where she can go to school, choose her own job, and electricity is now becoming standard in everyday life. In contrast, her family’s financial situation makes luxuries like owning land and spending extra on items other than basic survival out of reach. Katie, Francie’s mother, however, has a couple of possessions that Francie can waste as she wants. Despite being very poor, living in harsh conditions, and lacking the privilege of extras, Katie still believes they have some sort of wealth. In the Bildungsroman A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the writer uses the gold coins to reveal the illusion of luxury Katie puts upon her

The disks turned out to be gold pennies” (209). Francie takes these 10 pennies and places them into a tin can, as they are safer there rather in her own possession. The coins have a physical and emotional effect on both Francie and Neely. For one, the coins are shiny and appear to be made of gold, but are not. This illusion of luxury found here is not the only instance. It is also shown when Francie is able to “throw [the coffee] away rather than to drink it”(14).

The mirage of wealth in both of these cases helps the Nolan family to remain steadfast in their daily life and in pursuit of a better one even if their situation is the complete opposite than what they

“My gold coins have turned black”(246). Francie writes this short, simple statement in her journal on July 10th, five days after the Nolan family started to ration their wood supply at night. This was caused by Johnny being drunk and not working. This is another instance where Katie hides her children from the reality they face. She makes Francie change the word “drunk” when describing Johnny in her journal to “sick” and makes the wood rationing into a game by calling it “North Pole”. Both Francie and her children suffer from this: Katie, knowing that she wants her children to grow up in a safe environment and lying to her children by calling the bad things something other than what they are, and Francie and Neeley, because they have to go for days in the cold without heat. The coins that were once shiny and gold are now black and rusted, symbolizing the path Katie could have taken if she did not want to save for the land or if her mother never instructed her how to save and the hardships of life she faces when her husband does not do what is required to sustain a