A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by

Betty Smith

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The night watchman at a bank on the corner. He is a friend of Johnny’s and lends him the gun that Katie uses to protect Francie from the child molester when she finds him in the hallway of the building, trying to assault her daughter. Johnny and Burt have an arrangement in which Johnny agrees to watch the bank while Burt runs home to check on his much younger wife, whom he believes has lovers over at their apartment when Burt is working. When he returns home, he never finds his wife with a man; she is always sound asleep. One day, however, Burt’s fears come true when his wife leaves him for an Italian man closer to her own age.
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Burt Character Timeline in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The timeline below shows where the character Burt appears in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 33
Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability Theme Icon
Johnny goes to his friend, Burt, who works as a night watchman at the corner bank and asks to borrow his... (full context)
Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability Theme Icon
...the background. Johnny is fined five dollars for firing a gun without a permit and Burt’s wife eventually leaves him for an Italian man closer to her own age. (full context)