Francie Nolan is the protagonist in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which is one of my favorite novels. I've read this story a couple times in the past few years and each time I read it, Francie continues to amaze me. Francie isn't some amazing "save the day" protagonist. She doesn't undertake any dramatic tasks that really change the world but she is able to change her own world.
That is why I'm so intrigued by her. She is ordinary. She lives a standard life for a lower class citizen in early 1900s Brooklyn. She has the typical struggles of living in inner city poverty including not having enough food, having an alcoholic father, and struggling to get an education. She doesn't achieve any milestones that today would be considered "great". She doesn't have an amazing love story, or beat cancer, or travel to another country. She simple lives in her own world and deals with the struggles presented to her. Her character is like a shout out to all of the people who make huge achievements that go unnoticed. Francie loved going to school and she went through such ordeals to do it. To you or me, getting an education isn't really something we worry about extensively. It's pretty much provided for us. I admire Francie for being a hero in her own light. Taking care of her brother, working through school, coping with her father's death, and growing up in near penury are achievements that Francie was never recognized for.
Betty Smith (the author) is very honest in the way that she characterizes Francie. She doesn't try to make her great or perfect. She exposes her flaws and characterizes her in a direct way. Francie continues to leave an impression on me because for her and many others sometimes, just getting through the day is worthy of achievement.
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