A Northern Light and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

            Timeless Themes in Literature: A Northern Light & A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
             Literature exposes readers to new ideas and causes us to think. This is can be done through literature's timeless themes. A Northern Light and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn share the same theme: education is important. These two books include characters with a strong desire towards education for themselves and others.
             A Northern Light is a book about a young girl named Mattie Gokey. Mattie lives in a small town where money is scarce and working hard on the farm is a way of life. She steps up to the "mother" position, taking care of her three younger sisters and father after the passing of her own mother. Mattie believes in the importance of education. Her desire to want to further her education is evident. In chapter nine, Mattie says, "Weaver and I had spent most of the year preparing for our exit examinations. We are going to take the hardest ones." (Donnelly, pg 59). Mattie kept attending school and working hard while most kids her age had already dropped out to work on the farms. This shows her determination towards school and how strong her desire is towards getting an education.
             Mattie not only attends school daily, she also works hard in hopes of being accepted into Barnard College in New York City. In order to fulfill her dream of attending, Mattie must find the money needed to pay her way. Another way it is evident that education is important to Mattie is that she gets a job at the Glenmore, a hotel about six miles from her house, working for money. Money is scarce in her family and where she lives. The Gokey family barely makes enough money to feed the four children and Pa. (Donnelly, pg 239). There is definitely not any money for anything but necessities, meaning she is not able to depend on her family for money. School is not a part of a child's daily routine in Mattie's small town, especially in the 1900's.