"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" Chapter 1-23 Test HN Eng I

1: What is a Williamsburg and why is it important to Francie?

It is a tree and it is important to Francie because she likes to sit in the fire escape and imagine that she in the tree while she reads.

1: Describe Brooklyn and what it was like during this time.

Brooklyn was a very poor area.

1: What are the people like? Are they nice? Mean?

The people faced many hardships which resulted in them being mean.

1: How does Francie handle her surroundings?

Very well as she makes the best out of her situation.

1: How does she and her brother, Neely, make money? How do they collect it?

They collect cans and tins on the streets and sell it for coins.

1: How does Francie earn an extra penny?

When the salesman pinches Francie’s cheek, he checks if they flinch and if they don’t, they earn an extra penny.

1: How does Francie feel about the men on the bench?

She feels bad for them but that feeling changes as she realizes she doesn’t want to turn out like them

1: How do they (Francie and Neely) spend their money?

They use their small shares to buy chances at Cheap Charlie’s where people spend a penny for a chance but usually only win cheap candy or minor trinkets.

1: What does Francie focus on throughout this chapter?

Money

1: Describe Katie.

attractive, nice, and she let’s her kids have enjoyment

1: Describe some of the items the family buys throughout this chapter.

secondhand items and stale bread

2: When it comes to books what is Francie’s goal?

She wants to read every book that has ever been made in alphabetical order

2: Describe the Librarian.

Doesn’t really care about anything and just doing her job

2: Who is Frank and what does he do?

carriage drive for a advertisement for a dentist

2: Why doesn’t he date Flossie?

because she is obsessed with him and their personalities are opposites

2: Who also chases him (Frank)?

girls always chase him because of his job

3: What is Johnny like?

he is happy on the outside but on the inside he struggles with being an alcoholic

3: Describe Johnny.

attractive

3: How does Francie feel about him?

she is proud of him and thinks he is amazing

3: What does Johnny wish was different about his life?

he wishes he didn’t have a family

3: What is the problem he struggles with?

being an alcoholic

3: Describe his profession and how it differs from others in the same line of work.

he is a singing waiter but instead of it being a steady everyday thing, he picks up shifts from people who can’t come to work that day. he also is apart of the union

3: Describe his financial goals for getting rich.

he would gamble on horses

3: What does he say that makes Francie sad?

that he doesn’t want a family

4: Why does Flossie have so many costumes?

she does costume competitions, which she often wins silk and lace umbrellas.

4: Are they good costumes?

yes as they are unique, creative, and resourceful. they are good to her

4: Describe Henny

Flossie’s little brother who is sick. He keeps to himself and guilt trips others into feeling bad for him

5: Who is Sissy and what is she like?

Sissy is Franice’s aunt. She really wants kids. Katie loves her

5: Does Francie like her?

Yes, she looks up to her.

5: What type of cook is Katie?

She can make something out of nothing

5: What type of food is a special treat to Francie?

Pickles

6: Katie is going to make a meal with meat. Describe the process she wants Francie to follow when buying meet?

1. ten cents worth of round steak not grounded

2. ask for it ground

3. chop up onion in it

4. a piece of suet to fry it with

6: What do Francie and Maudie do on Saturday night?

go to confession

6: Who are Evy and Willie Flittman?

Francie’s aunt and uncle

6: What is their financial status?

not rich

6: Why doesn’t Willie like his horse?

doesn’t listen to him and horse doesn’t let Willie put the feed back on. Willie is whiny

6: Where does Francie sleep on Saturdays? Why? Does she have to?

in the front room because people argue on the neighboring apartments. She doesn’t have to

6: Who comes home late that night?

Johnny

7: How do Katie and Johnny meet?

through Hildy O’Dair, who was with Johnny at the time while they went on a double date

7: Why isn’t Katie friends with Hildy O’Dair anymore?

because Katie stole Johnny from her

7: Describe Mary

Katie’s mom who married Thomas. Very religious. Wanted to see the good in everyone, even in her husband who said he was the devil himself. Can’t read or write. Born in Austria. Doesn’t let her kids speak German to avoid insults and so they won’t understand what their dad is saying to them. Wanted kids to learn.

7: Describe Thomas

Katie’s dad, wants kids to make a profit, didn’t like anyone, fled Austria to avoid being in the army, doesn’t speak english and doesn’t like America

7: Describe Sissy

Francie’s eldest aunt, married 3 times, 35, 10 children that all died after birth, works at rubber factory, wants children, very charismatic, never divorced, 2nd and 3rd marriage not legal, close to Katie’s kids

7: Describe Eliza

2nd daughter, lacks self confidence, dull and boring, chosen by Mary to leave to be a nun, St. Ursula. Can’t leave convent unless a parent dies. Makes Francie not want to be a nun because of her facial hair.

7: Describe Evy

obsessed with music, married a musician, Willie, when young. Forces music upon her lids but she can’t play instruments. Mimics people, like Willie. Her goal is to make her family known and be in high society

7: What do the Rommely family all have in common?

soft voices

7: What do Katie and Evy’s husband have in common?

they both like music and their both poor

8: Why is this chapter so short about the Nolan Family? Andy, Frankie, Georgie, and Johnny.

They all died before 30

9: How are Katie and Johnny different?

Katie is positive about life and at least tries to be while Johnny isn’t

9: Describe their first job

they cleaned a school at night

9: What happens when Katie has Francie?

she endures a painful birth and Johnny goes out drinking

9: Why do they lose their job?

Johnny didn’t clean the school the night of Francie’s birth and the pipes burst

9: What advice does Mary provide?

she tells Katie to read one page of the Bible and one page of shakespeare every night and to let the kids have an imagination by telling them fairytales and supernatural stories. she also tells her to have a can in the closet to save money

9: Who does Katie share her concerns with?

Sissy, because she is a loving person and cares for Katie

9: How would you describe Johnny’s actions?

reckless and stupid

9: How does Sissy start Francie’s library?

she stole the Bible from a hotel and bought an old shakespeare book

10: How does the midwife help Katie?

tells her to do some sort of spell to make her milk ome back

10: Why does everyone think Francie will die? What is Katie’s response?

Francie was born blue. Katie says she will make her live and make her healthy

10: How does Katie feel about Neely?

loves Neely more than Francie as he looks like Johnny but she tries not to show it but Francie can tell

10: How does Johnny react?

really upset as he feels trapped and he wants to leave them

11: What does Johnny do for his 21st birthday?

goes drinking for three days straight without coming home

11: Why does Katie worry about Sissy’s after life?

she thinks Sissy will be stuck in purgatory because of her history with men

11: How does she calm these concerns?

Sissy helps people when able

12: What is wrong with Johnny’s friends?

bad influences and alcoholics

12: What does Katie decide to do?

move to a new apartment

12: How do they pay rent?

keep all the apartments clean to stay for free basically

13: How does Francie like the neighborhood?

she only liked the music played by the band but he was left out by the other kids because of the way she spoke

13: Describe the music

happy and made the neighborhood fun

14: The Nolans are forced to move again, what is the place like?

not well taken care of, smaller, access to roof, top floor, fire escape

14: What does Francie like about this place?

having access to the fire escape

14: What does Johnny say about the apartment?

he says it will be “…his last place” and not our last place because all his brother’s died before the age of 30

15: Describe the Nolan’s new home

rooms interconnected, little privacy, air shaft makes you hear everyone’s business

15: What did the previous tenants leave there?

a piano because it was to expensive to move

15: What time of the year was it most beautiful?

Christmas because the fireplace which made the windows glow

15: What is the overall feeling of the house?

dingy(old) and worn out

16: Francie goes into detail about the shops in Brooklyn. Why?

the shops were very important to a child’s life because of how they look and the excitement of spending money

17: What does Katie sign up for?

Piano lessons

17: What do the kids do during this time?

watch to learn how to play

17: What does Katie provide Mrs. Tymore with after each lesson? Why

Coffee and a sandwich because Mrs. Tymore never eats so her lessons are where she eats

18: What major life event is going to happen to Francie and Neely? What do they have to do first?

They will attend school but they have to get vaccinated

18: What does Katie instruct them to do before they leave?

to wash up but instead they make mud pies and run out of time to get clean

18: Describe the doctor and nurse

the nurse called francie dirty and the doctor and nurse openly talked bad about her as they act entitled even though the nurse is from poverty

18: What happens at the vaccination site?

it gets infected and itchy but johnny cleans it and it goes away

19: Why is Francie disappointed with school?

the teacher’s aren’t pleasant, the kids are mean, and she also had higher expectations

19: Why won’t she be the teachers pet?

because she is poor and has a lower status than the other children

19: When the teacher didn’t call on her one day, what happened?

she peed her pants

19: How did Sissy handle the situation?

Sissy acted like her mom and pulled it off my saying that Francie had a kidney problem and that her husband was a cop

19: What did Katie do about the situation?

she doesn’t know

19: Sissy and Katie were not talking for a while, Why do they resume talking again?

they missed each other and Sissy gave birth to another child that died after 2 hours

20: Lice and diseases are common at school. How does Katie keep her kids healthy?

she washes their hair with yellow soap and kerasin (gasoline). she also makes them wear garlic to keep other kids away

21: What teachers does Francie like? Why?

Mr. Morton the music teacher and Miss Bernstone the art teacher because of their attitude which makes the school day happier

22: What is it like when Francie learns to read well?

she understands the words and envisions them which makes her excited

22: What is the purpose of the secret code she develops?

game to occupy her time because she doesn’t have friends

22: Describe Francie’s friend situation. Are you surprised? How does this make you feel?

doesn’t have any, i’m kind of surprised because she is nice but she also doesn’t put herself out there. it makes me feel bad for her

23: What is Francie tired of at school?

being mistreated

23: What does she discover on a walk one day?

a new school

23: How does Johnny get her into a new school?

he lies about their address to get her into that district

23: Why doesn’t Katie help?

it’s illegal and she doesn’t want to get arrested

23: Does Francie like the new school? Why?

Yes because it’s way nicer and she gets her own desk

23: What is different about this school?

it’s not as miserable as the other school