A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by

Betty Smith

The Librarian Character Analysis

A woman who stamps Francie’s card each time she borrows a book, then shoves it back at her without ever smiling or looking at her. Francie asks her if she can recommend a book for a girl, in the hope of getting attention. The librarian always asks, matter-of-factly, how old the intended girl is and dutifully recommends a book. Francie admires a brown bowl on the librarian’s desk, which has “a spray of pink wild aster in it.” The librarian, Francie later realizes, has hardly ever noticed the bowl.
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The Librarian Character Timeline in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The timeline below shows where the character The Librarian appears in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
Education and the American Dream Theme Icon
Class and Snobbery Theme Icon
...her way through the alphabet and is in the B’s. She takes a book to the librarian and asks her if she can recommend a book for an eleven-year-old girl. Francie asks... (full context)
Chapter 56
Education and the American Dream Theme Icon
Romanticism vs. Pragmatism Theme Icon
After lunch, Francie goes to the library and asks the librarian , for the last time, if she can recommend a book for an eleven-year-old girl.... (full context)