Upon entering high school, in my ninth grade year, I was filled with the joy of becoming a “real” teen.  I attended E. B. Erwin High and the year was 1971.  I had been zoned and re-zoned four times and I hoped this was my last relocation; at least until I graduated.

It took some getting used to but I caught on to the lyrics of the school society.  I developed my friendship base (which wasn’t many) and settled down to do four years and graduate.  My favorite courses had always been subjects such as English, literature and history.  These subjects came natural to me and I didn’t have to ponder over them too long.

After a while we were given a list of classic novels on which to complete a book report.   We were to compare and contrast two of them.  I chose Louisa May Alcott’s, “Little Women”, and Betty Smith’s, “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn”.

These two stories consist of the hardship two families have to face, each in their own way.   The main teen characters in “Little Women” were Jo March and her three sisters.  The main teen character in “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” is Francie Nolan.  Francie has a brother that is somewhat younger than she and she spends her time keeping him in line.

To compare the two characters of Jo and Francie you will see that they are both dependable, reliable and in the face of hardship do not think of themselves.  Jo’s father was called away to the war (the civil war), and Francie’s father was a lovable but unreliable drunk.  They both loved their fathers; the difference being that unless a miracle happened, Francie’s father would be forever unreliable. 

To contrast the two; Jo was a wild colt of a girl even though she was a kind and straightforward person.  She was more of a creative spirit and it showed in her relationships, demeanor and whimsical ways.  This can be clearly seen when she decides to bring money into the family by having her beautiful mane of hair cut in order for wigs to be made.

Francie on the other hand was solid.  When her mother becomes pregnant again it is Francie who takes on extra chores for her besides looking after her brother and attending school.  Francie’s mother cleaned the tenement where they lived and instead of worrying how it was going to done Francie went ahead and did what she had to do to make it work.

Although each one has monetary problems there is a class difference.  It’s ironic that Jo doesn’t want a part of the stodgy way of life she has and Francie will be the first one in her family to add dignity to her life by her own merits.

It’s an enjoyable read for mothers and daughters in this stress-laden economic time.   We need to give our young women hope because just as a tree grew in brooklyn renewal can grow inside of us.