A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56
Themes
All Themes Poverty and Perseverance Education and the American Dream Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability Romanticism vs. Pragmatism Class and Snobbery
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Francie Nolan Neeley Nolan Johnny Nolan Katie Nolan Annie Laurie Nolan McShane Aunt Sissy Aunt Evy Uncle Willie Flittman Aunt Eliza Carney Charlie Mr. Sauerwein Mary Rommely Thomas Rommely Ruthie Nolan Mickey Andy Nolan Flossie Gaddis Mr. Tomony The Librarian Mrs. Gindler The Teacher’s Pet The Doctor The Nurse Miss Briggs Hildy O’Dair Jim Aunt Sissy’s second husband Steve Sergeant Michael McShane Jim McGarrity Mae McGarrity Professor Allegretto Frankie Nolan The Tynmores Mr. Morton Miss Bernstone Mattie Mahoney Mr. Jenson Gussie Little Tilly Joanna Burt The Child Molester Lucia Sarah Miss Garnder Miss Irma Armstrong The Boss at Model Press Clipping Bureau Ben Blake Anita Corporal Leo “Lee” Rhynor Florry Wendy
Symbols
All Symbols The Tree The Brown Bowl
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by

Betty Smith
Download this LitChart! (PDF)
Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn makes teaching easy.

Miss Garnder Character Analysis

Francie’s English teacher. She starts to give Francie C’s in English composition, though Francie normally gets A’s, because she disapproves of Francie writing about unpleasant aspects of life, such as poverty and alcoholism. She encourages Francie to focus on beauty instead and claims that she, too, endured a poor upbringing. However, her father was a minister who had a meager but fixed income, and her mother had the benefit of having a maid to help with housework. Hearing this, Francie does not think that her teacher can identify at all with her pain.

Miss Garnder Quotes in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The A Tree Grows in Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Miss Garnder or refer to Miss Garnder. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Poverty and Perseverance Theme Icon
).
Chapter 39 Quotes

One delves into the imagination and finds beauty there. The writer,

like the artist, must strive for beauty always […] Drunkenness is neither truth nor beauty. It’s a vice. Drunkards belong in jail, not in stories. And poverty. There is no excuse for that. There's work enough for all who want it. People are poor because they're too lazy to work. There's nothing beautiful about laziness.

Related Characters: Miss Garnder (speaker), Francie Nolan, Johnny Nolan, Katie Nolan
Poverty and Perseverance Theme Icon
Education and the American Dream Theme Icon
Class and Snobbery Theme Icon
Page Number: 321-322
Explanation and Analysis:
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Miss Garnder Quotes in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The A Tree Grows in Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Miss Garnder or refer to Miss Garnder. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Poverty and Perseverance Theme Icon
).
Chapter 39 Quotes

One delves into the imagination and finds beauty there. The writer,

like the artist, must strive for beauty always […] Drunkenness is neither truth nor beauty. It’s a vice. Drunkards belong in jail, not in stories. And poverty. There is no excuse for that. There's work enough for all who want it. People are poor because they're too lazy to work. There's nothing beautiful about laziness.

Related Characters: Miss Garnder (speaker), Francie Nolan, Johnny Nolan, Katie Nolan
Poverty and Perseverance Theme Icon
Education and the American Dream Theme Icon
Class and Snobbery Theme Icon
Page Number: 321-322
Explanation and Analysis:
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