The Portrayal of Alcohol in Literature and History: 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' in Context Madison Stump 11th Grade

Life for Americans during the early twentieth century was difficult. During this time, President Theodore Roosevelt was shot, the Titanic sank, and the United States entered World War I. To distract their minds from the great horror of their daily lives, places like amusement parks and theaters filled the areas for families to spend their time. This allowed them to forget the events occurring in their country. To escape reality, many people started to rely heavily on alcohol to drown out their sorrows. In fact, many Americans depended on alcohol to move forward in life. At the turn of the twentieth century, beer production jumped from 1.2 billion to 2 billion gallons (Pack 1). This unhealthy alcohol addiction later becomes a huge problem and affects many families. Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn accurately relates the use and effects of alcohol during the early 1900s through the negligence of families, loss of jobs, and lack of financial support from husbands.

As alcohol productions increase in the early 1900s, the number of speakeasies also increases (Keith 1). Americans were frequently found drinking in saloons and bars (Blocker 1) to satisfy their “need” of alcohol (Keith 1). Many people chose to get drunk over...