Before reading, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, please respond to the following post...
1. Take a good look at the cover of your book. What do you think the story will be about based
on the illustration and title? (No peeking at the back!) Comment on this entry.
2. Some of the common themes throughout the story are poverty, alcoholism, and perservering
amidst hardships. Think about whether you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Choose one statement you find interesting to write a short comment explaining your opinion
on whether you agree or disagree.
Statements:
1. Being poor has a negative impact on the people in that situation.
2. Losing a loved one allows you to grow.
3. Your extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins) can be a wonderful support
system in times of need.
4. Love causes pain.
5. Parents should not force their children to do something they do not want to do even if it
is for their benefit.
6. The amount of money you have determines how you are viewed by society.
7. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Thomas, 2001
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8 comments:
When i looked at the cover of this book I though many things. For instance, the first thing that i would say that popped into my head is that it was from back in the day. I didnt think that it is from now a day I thought that it was from maybe the 70's and that time. I also though that from the look of the building in the backround that this would be a poor neighborhood. So that lead me to another though that the characters in this book would be poor and maybe talk about how they go through the things and how the girl on the front cover goes throught things that will take her into a good life. That she will know many many things as she grows up.
The amount of money you have determines how you are viewed by society. I reaaly think that this is true because everyone always looks at the cool people and say that "wow she or he has amazing clothes they must be rich." Thats why they are treated they way they are. And thats always why they have so much popularity. So yes i do think that the amount of money that a person has does detrmin about how people are treated because we see examples of this in everyday life. Take celbs for example they are treated way better than regular people just because they are famous and also because they have alot of money.
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but judging on this cover, I'd say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is going to be an excellent book. It is a simple cover, but shows warmth in colors despite somber scenery. It resonates the idea of light in a dark place; the clothing the girl is wearing shines in bright contrast to the dull background. It also gives a sense of being an older book; from the look of the clothing style especially, it is not a modern book. The author's name is also somewhat old-fashioned. From the title, I don't think it would be a stretch to believe the story takes place in Brooklyn. The title is perhaps the most beguiling part of the front cover. It stands simply and starkly, like a tree in Brooklyn, where not much grows. The tree could also be a metaphor for the girl on the cover; how she grows, like a tree in Brooklyn, against all odds.
While looking at this cover i noticed that this may be an old fashion book. the authors name-Betty Smith sounds old fashioned, and by looking at the clothes that the young girl is wearing they look like they're from the early 1900's. also looking behind the girl you see what looks like a dirty neighborhood, so perhaps this is about a girl whos family is poor.
It's a shame that this is true. It's like that old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Unfortunately, many of us do.
Great blogging start!
I think that the book will be about a young girl just about our age. She seems to be living in one of the tenement buildings from the early twentieth century. Her clothes look a bit shabby and so I am guessing that her family does not have much money. There is a tree behind her that looks like the only one for miles around. Maybe the tree symbolizes something about her. She could be strong, brave, willfull and healthy or even unhealthy. She could be considered beautiful.
1. Being poor has a negative impact on the people in that situation.
This statement can be either very true or very false. A person who is poor, can go about thinking about what they do not have. This could lead them to theft or to lose loved ones because of poor choices. It also can be very beneficial. When you are poor, you can be happy for the little things in life that you can get. If you chose to look at the positive instead of the negetive in any situation you can make it better or worse. It really depends on the character of the person for this statement.
Ok so when I looked over the book I thought it would be a pretty serious book. I didn't think it would be happy and funny and such because the colors weren't bright and vibrant. The girl is calm and alone and all these things lead me to believe it will be a humorless novel. As to the first statement we are to respond to I think that if you have a negative outlook on poverty and you are surrounded with people who aren't happy than being impoverished isn't a good life but if you are surrounded with people who are positive and don't mind their living arrangement than it can be a perfectly fine way to live.
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