A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

During that same year, Aunt Evy takes over Uncle Flittman’s milk route for a little while after he gets kicked by his own horse. His horse loves Aunt Evy because she treats him much better than Uncle Flittman does. Once Flittman has recovered from his injury, he tries to get back his route and his horse, but the horse won’t obey him at all now. His boss must reassign him to a new horse and route, and his original horse is given to an “effeminate” worker who somewhat resembles Aunt Evy (242).

Francie’s diary entries reveal a lot of what goes on when she is 13, including the arrival of World War I. She discusses Johnny increasingly losing himself to alcoholism, losing his job, and telling Francie to give up her job washing dishes as he plans to find a new job of his own. Francie feels bad for him and tries to help him as much as she can. She also writes about her success in school and her dream of being a playwright. She records that Neeley has a girlfriend, much to Katie’s indignation, and Francie wonders if she shouldn’t be pursuing a sexual relationship as well.