Final Response to A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

A childs greatest fear is growing up. Innocence to experience. Francie always thought of the world as a big monster. She found out first hand that it's full of evil. The man in the stairwell tought her the first lesson of being on your own. Watching out for yourself. Yet as you grow older, the world offers great and bountiful rewards provided you stay out of trouble. Otherwise, life can be miserable. Francie seems to understand the reality of life knowing that you must work to earn what you wish.

While in childhood, the life you live and the things you do can be a great factor in pinpointing what your life will be like. If you do your homework, and have a near 4.0 average in school, you can tell that you'll get a good job and raise a family and etc. If your a backstreet kid, like most of Brooklyn at the time, life may be less rewarding and more punishing than one would like. A good education gets you far in the world. You can easily see how Katie believes this and is bent on giving her children a better life by giving them a better education. However, Francie is bent on making money to help support the life at home. Her emotions got in the way and clouded her understanding of why a formal education will help her later. She can't get a nice paying job unless she can understand how to do the job. She simply wants to help more than to learn because the helping has immediate results where as education has results that root themselves in the future as time progresses on. Francie has clouded her vision and can't see the benefits of the future.

Neeley has a slightly different way of seeing things in his life. Katie wants Neeley to go to school while Francie works. Neeley wants to work because he likes to earn money while Francie wants to work to earn money to support the family. Francie wanted to go to school until she realized they needed money badly. Neeley still would rather work than be put through the education system he dreads most. Sitting at a desk listening to a teacher is not exactly the most entertaing thing a child can do. When Katie realizes their financial situation, she allows both, reluctantly, to go and seek out good paying work. But only until they can be put through school and still stay afloat on money they will have earned. Francie has a rewarding future ahead of her asuming college goes well and she stays healthy. Neeley may not be the brightest, but he is sure to make it in the real world.

Journal Entry: Road

My father once traveled coast to coast via car. He explained, while traversing the desert, he could see the endless earthen asphalt expansion we call a road stretching to China for all he new. The towering spires of tinted orange rocks seem to stand as if frozen alive. As the road and trip continue, suddenly, the thundercloud appears; so dark and menacing as though it came from the mouth of Hell itself, comes into view. Its size and density turn a bright and clear day to an unearthly, erie night. My father seeks shelter and with luck, finds an unused garage. A few sprinkles suddenly turn to an endless horde of water descending from the heavens. Hail hurles itself towards the earth like a pitch from Alex Rodriguez. God sends a barrage of  lightning and claps the thunder like a crash cymbal. The storm seems like an endless onslaught of the nastiest weather ever known to expose itself. With no hope left and no end to this malevolance in sight, the natural blue of the atmosphere returns with trailing puffy white cotton-ball clouds. With the way clear to traverse, my father resumes his trek across the vastness of the United States of America.