A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Group

Question:

lokita88
lokita88
Student
College - Freshman

How did Francie insult the pickle man in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"?

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Posted by lokita88 on Sunday September 7, 2008 at 8:25 AM and tagged with a tree grows in brooklyn, character, francie, pickle man.

Answers:

  1. pmiranda2857
    pmiranda2857 Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    On pickle days, Francie goes to the Hebrew man in the neighborhood store to buy a Jewish pickle.

    When she goes to the store, the old Jewish man gets insulted when she asks for a "penny sheeny pickle" (Smith)  Francie does not know that the word sheeny is an insult to Jewish people. 

    It is a slang word used to call Jews,  kike or  hebe, or worse.  Francie uses the word without knowing what it means.  But the Hebrew man can't stand the little Irish girl.  

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    Posted by pmiranda2857 on Saturday September 13, 2008 at 4:01 PM