In the second half of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn the theme of maturation develops to its greatest level. The main character Francie becomes a young woman who has faced all of life's struggles and made it through them all. Through the many events in her life, she matures from a young girl filled with confusion to a young adult understanding and ready to go out and conquer the world. This is fully expressed in the final chapters of the poignant story.
One of the major instances of growing up Francie encountered in her early teenage years was when she came to the point where she realized that she needed someone to love and someone to love her. She was past the childhood years where a significant other did not matter, and now she wanted to feel the emotion given and received when in love. She wanted to obtain someone that would free her of her loneliness. "I need someone," she thought. "I need to hold somebody close. And I need more than this holding. I need someone to understand how I feel at a time like now. And the understanding must be part of that holding." This truly shows the reader that Francie has grown up and made the transition from a child to a young woman, strengthening the theme of maturation.
Another sign of maturing on Francie's part was when she looked past her own desires and instead focused on the need of her family. With her father passed away and her mother having a new baby, she took on the responsibility of getting a job and supporting the family in a time when money was scarce. Her job was in New York City, a place beyond the streets of Brooklyn, beyond the only sidewalks she had ever seen. She earned twenty dollars a week, a major sum compared to the two dollars she in past years had to live off of. This responsibility and change Francie took on is a perfect example of her growth as a character and increased level of understanding, developing the theme to greater limits.
As the next couple of years passed, Francie went through two main events that marked the finality of her maturation process described in the novel. The first was her falling in the deepest love imaginable with a man she had known but a couple of days. She vowed to wait for him and spend the next years with the intention of marrying him when he returned from the war. This love was smothered, as he married another woman the next day, and Francie's emotions ran rampant because of this action. She realized the realities of life and the horrible lies capable by man, but was not discouraged completely, as she pledged to do something with her life and show the world what she could do.
This maturation led to Francie's going to an out of state college. She worked so hard on her studies and tests that she had become the first Nolan to attend college. This accomplishment shows how far Francie had come throughout the story, surpassing the limits she was given by being poor and enabling a whole new world to open for herself. This is the final result of the theme of maturation, as Francie has grown up to be somebody.
Overall, the theme of maturation was expressed fully and expanded to its greatest limits. I enjoyed the experience greatly and was given a new aspect on life and the way to live it after seeing Francie's emotions and how she was treated. In a way, I have matured through the reading of another's maturation. This is a great plus I have seized due to reading the novel and I am happy I was able to take part in it. Return to Journal Page