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Miss Briggs
Katie’s former best friend and Johnny’s girlfriend before he meets Katie. Hildy is a “bold” young woman of Irish descent, who knows all of the latest songs and is a good dancer. She and Katie work together at the Castle Braid Factory, but their friendship ends as a result of Hildy believing that Katie has “stolen” Johnny away from her. When Johnny dies, Hildy shows up at the funeral and sobs noticeably. When Katie overhears this, she is initially outraged that any woman would dare to express more grief than she in response to Johnny’s death. When she turns around in her pew and sees that it is Hildy, she softens, remembering how much Hildy loved Johnny, too.
Hildy O’Dair Quotes in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The A Tree Grows in Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Hildy O’Dair or refer to Hildy O’Dair. 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:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
Feeling his arms around her and instinctively adjusting herself to his rhythm, Katie knew that he was the man she wanted. She'd ask nothing more than to look at him and to listen to him for the rest of her life. Then and there, she decided that those privileges were worth slaving for all her life. Maybe that decision was her great mistake. She should have waited until some man came along who felt that way about her. Then her children would not have gone hungry; she would not have had to scrub floors for their living and her memory of him would have remained a tender shining thing. But she wanted Johnny Nolan and no one else and she set out to get him.
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Hildy O’Dair Quotes in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The A Tree Grows in Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Hildy O’Dair or refer to Hildy O’Dair. 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:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
Feeling his arms around her and instinctively adjusting herself to his rhythm, Katie knew that he was the man she wanted. She'd ask nothing more than to look at him and to listen to him for the rest of her life. Then and there, she decided that those privileges were worth slaving for all her life. Maybe that decision was her great mistake. She should have waited until some man came along who felt that way about her. Then her children would not have gone hungry; she would not have had to scrub floors for their living and her memory of him would have remained a tender shining thing. But she wanted Johnny Nolan and no one else and she set out to get him.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
