A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by

Betty Smith

A beautiful sixteen-year-old neighborhood girl who is the daughter of Sicilian immigrants. She gets pregnant as the result of an affair with a married man and becomes such a source of shame that her father locks her up in her room and refuses to feed her anything but bread and water. When Sissy hears about this, she makes an arrangement to take the baby off of the family’s hands after it is born. Sissy brings Lucia proper meals while her father is out at work, and Lucia later gives birth to a healthy baby girl whom Sissy christens as Sarah. Lucia and her family eventually return to Italy and Sissy never hears from them again. Aunt Sissy later confesses to Katie that it was Steve who told her about the girl’s pregnancy and where she lived. This exchange heavily implies that Steve is the married man with whom Lucia had an affair.
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Lucia Character Timeline in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The timeline below shows where the character Lucia appears in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 34
Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability Theme Icon
...beautiful sixteen-year-old girl in Maspeth has gotten pregnant by a married man. Her name is Lucia. When Sissy hears that her father is starving her to punish her, Sissy goes to... (full context)
Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability Theme Icon
Sissy takes good care of Lucia, taking her outside and feeding her while Lucia’s father is at work. The family learns... (full context)
Gender, Sexuality, and Vulnerability Theme Icon
When Lucia’s father comes home and finds her with a healthy baby sleeping at her side, he’s... (full context)