A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and a Separate Peace, Essay Example

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Separate Peace are two examples of coming of age novels. Even though the two stories were written approximately ten years apart and feature characters of different, they tell similar tales. In particular, Francie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Gene in A Separate Peace experience a loss of innocence as they age. In spite of their troubles, however, both characters learn to accept who they are as people by the end of their respective tales.

In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Francie is from a poor neighborhood and her family works very hard to get by. Because her family taught her the value of hard work as a child, Francie gets a job instead of going to high school to help support the family. She uses her resourcefulness to find a job that pays $15 an hour and allows her to read all day long. Even though Francie is forced to work at a young age, she demonstrates her maturity by sending her brother to high school instead of herself when she finally has the money. Throughout the book, we see Francie grow from a young girl to a hard working adult. In this book, Francie shows that she is resilient just like the tree. She is constantly growing and doesn’t let the bad weather get her down.

In A Separate Peace, Gene grows up privileged which is exemplified by his ability to attend a prestigious preparatory school. However, Gene’s youth ends quickly when World War II begins and he is forced to face the harsh realities of war. He recognizes the troubles of war for the first time when his friend Leper Lepellier joins the war effort and is frightened by what he sees. To make matters worse, Gene’s dearest friend Finny dies at the end of the book. However, these harsh realities of life make Gene finally understand himself. This event allows him to complete the transition from immature school boy to confident adult.

Both A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Separate Peace are meant to show the harsh realities of life during their respective time periods. Both characters face different problems that are inherent to their different time periods, locations, and social statuses. However, they are both forced to grow up and recognize the troubles of the world, helping others to cope with these troubles when they can. Even though both Francie and Gene struggle with their growth, they are able to contribute to the world when they finally accept that life comes with troubles and that it is worth facing them head on.

In conclusion, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Separate Peace are similar because they are both coming of age stories that follow different characters. These stories are meant to remind us of who we are as people and to remind us that despite the diverse challenges that we face, we are all able to cope with our problems. By recognizing these problems and taking steps to address them, we will be better prepared for life. Francie did this by using her time to provide for the well-being of her family and Gene did this by discovering his identity. Both characters show great strength in their efforts and there is much we can learn from these literary characters as role models.