The Tree of ParadiseIt is a fact that people constantly encounter difficulties, setbacks and disappointments. However, ultimately, people learn to overcome challenges and grow in strength and character more than before. In the novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith, the protagonist, Francie Nolan, lives in the early 1900s in Williamsburg, a part of Brooklyn, New York. He is an extremely creative and talented person who suffers from poverty, loneliness and more. In the small plot of earth and rocks behind his apartment, despite the lack of space and water, a tree grows, which is why it is called the Tree of Paradise. Likewise, Francie, despite not having the necessary resources, grows and overcomes the challenges of poverty and loneliness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Tree of Heaven is a recurring theme throughout the novel and is conveyed through the metaphorical relationship between the trees' struggle and Francie's struggles. The Tree of Heaven represents growth for the main character, Francie. The novel follows her from the moment her parents meet to the moment she becomes a young adult. Over the course of her life, Francie comes to understand the bad aspects of life such as poverty and alcoholism. His father, Johnny, was an alcoholic who had the wildest and most impractical get-rich-quick ideas and cared deeply for his family, but never got around to doing so. spending time with his family after he began to depend on alcohol. While trapped in his alcoholism, he ironically talked more about how wonderful his family was rather than spending time with them. As Sissy once says to Katie, "'all of us are what we are meant to be and everyone lives the kind of life that it is in him to live'." Katie, the mother, was the complete opposite. She was a pragmatic woman who always did her best for her family and never shied away from working as hard as she could. When Johnny was away drinking, she was cleaning other apartments, while the children, Francie and Neely, were out collecting junk to sell to a scrap collector. When everyone returned, they distributed the money for various needs. Johnny was never able to hold down a stable job. He usually ended up fired after a few months for alcohol problems. Despite the family's difficulties, Katie managed to work enough to provide for the family and also educate the children. To prevent Francie and Neely from falling into poverty as well, he decided to teach them the value of education. She had read a few pages of Shakespeare and the Bible every day since she was little, so when they were ready to start school, Francie and Neely were prepared. The Tree of Paradise also represents the poverty of the Nolan family. In the introduction to the setting, the author describes the only tree that lived in Nolan's area: “It had spiky leaves growing along green switches that radiated from the branch and formed a tree that looked like a series of open green umbrellas. Some people called it the Tree of Heaven. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay. No matter where his seed fell, he created a tree that struggled to reach the sky. It grew in boarded-up lots and on abandoned trash piles and was the only tree growing out of the concrete. It grew luxuriantly, but only in working-class neighborhoods (Smith 6).” By setting the tone of the novel through the description of the Tree of Paradise, the importance of the setting is emphasized and the theme of poverty is introduced..