A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, despite its enduring popularity, reveals itself as a fundamentally flawed work that relies heavily on superficial storytelling and underdeveloped themes. The novel’s primary weakness lies in its tendency to name-drop social issues without meaningfully engaging with them, creating what amounts to a collection of neighborhood gossip rather than a cohesive narrative.
Structural Weakness and Superficial Treatment
The book’s opening lines demonstrate its superficial approach to scene-setting: “Serene was the word you could put to Brooklyn, New York, especially in the summer of 1912.” This simplistic characterization sets the tone for what becomes a pattern throughout the novel – settling for easy descriptions rather than diving deep into the complex realities of early 20th-century Brooklyn.
The author’s reliance on atmospheric details over substantive storytelling becomes increasingly apparent as the narrative progresses. Rather than exploring the genuine hardships and complexities of immigrant life in early 20th-century Brooklyn, Smith opts for a sanitized version that feels more like a collection of pleasant anecdotes than a serious examination of the period.
The Problem of Narrative Voice
The author’s voice frequently falls into a gossipy, almost trivial tone that undermines any attempt at serious social commentary. Instead of exploring the deep implications of poverty, immigration, and social mobility, Smith relies on what amounts to neighborhood chatter and surface-level observations. This weakness becomes particularly evident in scenes involving multiple characters, where the narrative devolves into what feels like overheard conversations rather than meaningful character development.
The inconsistency in narrative voice further weakens the story’s impact. Smith oscillates between attempts at poetic description and mundane observations, never quite finding a consistent tone that would give the narrative the gravitas it needs to address its supposedly serious themes.
Failed Character Development
The characters, particularly Johnny Nolan, suffer from inconsistent development and often serve more as vehicles for melodrama than fully realized individuals. The treatment of his alcoholism, for instance, swings between superficial sympathy and moral judgment without ever achieving meaningful depth. This superficiality extends to most of the supporting characters, who often feel like caricatures rather than real people.
Even Francie, the protagonist, suffers from this shallow character development. While we follow her growth throughout the novel, her internal life never feels fully realized. Instead, she serves more as a passive observer of the neighborhood’s goings-on, with her own character arc taking a backseat to the collection of neighborhood stories and gossip.
Mishandling of Social Issues
Smith’s approach to serious social issues is particularly problematic. Topics like women’s suffrage, child labor, and immigrant experiences are introduced but quickly abandoned, serving more as atmospheric backdrop than substantive elements of the narrative. This pattern suggests an author more interested in appearing socially conscious than actually engaging with these crucial issues.
The novel’s treatment of poverty, while central to the story, remains surprisingly superficial. Rather than exploring the systemic causes and devastating effects of economic hardship, Smith presents poverty almost as a character-building exercise, glossing over its true impact on families and communities.
Pacing and Structure Problems
The novel’s structure becomes increasingly problematic as it progresses, with the final quarter particularly demonstrating the author’s inability to maintain narrative focus. The story meanders through Francie’s later years without purpose or direction, as if the author couldn’t decide where or how to end the narrative.
This lack of structural discipline manifests in numerous subplots that are introduced and then abandoned, creating a sense of narrative drift that becomes increasingly frustrating as the book progresses. The author seems more interested in accumulating incidents than in crafting a cohesive narrative arc.
The Gossip Problem
Perhaps the most egregious flaw is the author’s reliance on neighborhood gossip as a storytelling device. This approach creates a shallow, almost voyeuristic perspective that prevents any meaningful exploration of character or theme. The constant shifting between various neighborhood perspectives feels more like eavesdropping than storytelling.
The gossipy narrative style is particularly problematic when dealing with serious issues. Important social and personal challenges are reduced to neighborhood talk, diminishing their impact and preventing any real examination of their implications.
Superficial Treatment of the Immigrant Experience
While the novel purports to tell an immigrant story, it fails to delve into the genuine complexities of the immigrant experience. Instead, it offers sanitized versions of cultural conflict and assimilation that feel inauthentic and oversimplified.
The author’s treatment of ethnic and cultural differences often falls into stereotype and cliché, suggesting a lack of genuine engagement with the complexities of immigrant life in early 20th-century Brooklyn. This superficiality undermines any attempt at meaningful social commentary.
Language and Style Weaknesses
The writing itself often falls short of the material’s demands. Smith’s prose tends toward the pedestrian, with occasional attempts at lyricism that feel forced and artificial. The author’s inability to maintain a consistent narrative voice suggests a fundamental weakness in craft.
Dialogue throughout the novel often feels artificial and contrived, with characters speaking in ways that serve the author’s need for exposition rather than emerging naturally from their personalities and circumstances.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ultimately fails as both literature and social commentary. Its reliance on superficial storytelling techniques, underdeveloped themes, and gossipy narrative voice creates a work that, while perhaps entertaining on a surface level, lacks the depth and insight that its subject matter demands.
The author’s inability to meaningfully engage with the serious social issues she introduces reveals a fundamental laziness in approach that undermines the entire work. Rather than diving deep into the complexities of immigrant life, poverty, and social mobility in early 20th-century Brooklyn, Smith settles for a surface-level treatment that does a disservice to both her subject matter and her readers.
The novel stands as a testament to how not to write about complex social issues, demonstrating that mere awareness of social problems is not enough – an author must be willing to engage with them meaningfully and thoughtfully, something Smith consistently fails to do throughout the book. In the end, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a missed opportunity, a potentially powerful story undermined by lazy writing and superficial treatment of important themes.