Brooklyn

What Girl Icon does this book represent?

Brooklyn tells the story of a young woman called Eilis, who lives in a small town in Ireland calls Enniscorthy, and moves to Brooklyn in New York.  The book was written in 2009 by Colm Tobin, and is set in the 1950s.  In the book, Eilis leaves her mum and sister and everything she knows in Ireland, and moves to New York for a better future.  She is worried to leave, we read “It struck her on one of those nights, as she lay awake, that the next time she would open that suitcase it would be in a different room in a different country, and then the thought came unbidden into her mind that she would be happier if it were opened by another person who could keep the clothes and shoes and wear them every day. She would prefer to stay at home, sleep in this room, live in this house, do without the clothes and shoes” (pg. 30).

Once she gets to New York, she works and studies there while living in a boardinghouse with other Irish women.  She struggles with homesickness and understanding her new life, we read, “She was nobody here.  It was not just that she had no friends and family; it was that she was a ghost in this room, in the streets on the way to work, on the shop floor.  Nothing meant anything… Nothing here was part of her.  It was false, empty, she thought” (pg. 65).  Slowly, she starts to adapt to her life in New York and she falls in love with an Italian man named Tony.  She feels nervous about their relationship moving too fast, but he makes her feel more connected to New York. “His saying that he loved her and his expecting a reply frightened her, made her feel that she would have to accept that this was the only life she was going to have, a life spent away from home” (pg. 135).  Then, she gets the devastating news that her sister died and she decides to return to Ireland.  Before she leaves, Tony and her get married and she promises to return.  Once she is in Ireland however, she comes to terms with her loss and doesn’t want to leave. 

She struggles between choosing Ireland or New York, a feeling many people who move countries can relate to.  We read, “The idea that she would leave all of this – the rooms of the house once more familiar and warm and comforting – and go back to Brooklyn and not return for a long time again frightened her now” (pg. 216).  Ultimately, she has a realisation that her town is too small and she doesn’t have a future there, and she decides to return to her life in New York.  The book ends with, “‘She has gone back to Brooklyn,' her mother would say. And, as the train rolled past Macmine Bridge on its way towards Wexford, Eilis imagined the years ahead, when these words would come to mean less and less to the man who heard them and would come to mean more and more to herself” (pg. 236).  This book includes a romantic storyline but every thing illustrates Eilis coming of age and learning about herself and how to be an adult in the world.

How would you describe the rite of passage aspects of the story?

This book is an emotional portrayal of a young woman who is becoming an adult, we see her go through many rites of passage.  Going from adolescence to adulthood is like stepping into a new world.  In Brooklyn, Eilis goes through this internal rite of passage as she herself grows into adulthood.  Her experience is mirrored externally by her move from Ireland to New York.  Eilis goes to America on her own, leaving her childhood, family, and home behind, going towards the unknown and her future.  

We see the complexity of Eilis’ emotion around moving to New York.  The apprehension and sadness about leaving home is expressed here, “She would make them believe, if she could, that she was looking forward to America and leaving home for the first time. She promised herself that not for one moment would she give them the smallest hint of how she felt, and she would keep it from herself if she had to until she was away from them” (pg. 32).  We also read about her excitement for new experiences; “Eilis was aware that going to work in America was different from just taking the boat to England; America might be further away and so utterly foreign in its systems and its manners, yet it had an almost compensating glamour attached to it” (pg. 32).  Coming of age is complex because there is excitement about the new potential as well as nervousness and reluctance to leave familiarity.  

Moving countries is a huge rite of passage marking a change in a person’s life, just like adolescence.  You may miss what you left, whether that is childhood or your home, but you are not the same as you were before.  Therefore, you can not return to the same state as you were before the transformation of growing up or moving countries.  You realise that you are not the same as you once were.  When Eilis returns to Ireland, her friend Nancy says “‘You have changed… You look different. Everything about you is different, not for those who know you, but for people in the town who only know you to see… You seem more grown up and serious” (pg. 215).  Through Eilis’ journey she has learned more about herself and the world, and become more mature and self-aware.

What aspects of Girl Power does this book explore?

This book shows Eilis to be a heroine, by following some of the elements of the Heroine’s Journey which starts with leaving home.  Eilis goes through many trials, like the long stressful sea journey to New York, and her excruciating homesickness when she arrives.  She shows immense bravery and courage to leave her comfortable life for the unknown.  When she arrives in New York she adapts to a new life and finds things to be passionate about.  The hero’s journey ends with the return home, and this is the part I often find interesting because we see how everything the heroine has learned has made her grow.  We see Eilis return home to Ireland and she is different to before, she feels different, people see her differently.  She has had experiences that have forced her to grow and she is an adult now.  This is a coming of age book about Eilis’ heroine’s journey.

What is breakthrough about the book? 

Brooklyn is historical fiction, and after its release, it was rated as one of the top ten historical novels by The Observer.  As historical fiction, the book is breakthrough in being able to depict the experience of moving countries with such authenticity that it translates the emotion and is relatable now. In the 1950’s Eilis faces many challenges on her own after she moves.  She can’t FaceTime her family back home the way we can now, she had to rely mainly on letters to communicate with them.  Yet, the was homesickness she experiences and the feeling of being pulled in two directions is something people can relate to in any time period.

Is there a film, TV or theatrical version of this story? Does it live up to the book? 

There is a film version of Brooklyn made in 2015 starring Saoirse Ronan who received many nominations for her acting.  The film was considered one of the best releases of the year, and won Best British Film at the BAFTAs.  I think the film lives up to the book, it is a beautiful portrayal of the story that adds to the experience of reading the book.  It feels authentic to the characters and setting, and the acting is incredible.  Some parts are embellished for film, and the ending is different to in the book where Eilis is still in Ireland, but has decided to go back to New York.  In the film, we see her on the ship returning to New York and telling a young woman what she had learned from her first journey.  Showing the arc her character has gone through during the film; maturing and growing up, now carrying the wisdom of her heroine’s journey. The film ends with her reunited with Tony in Brooklyn.

I would recommend both reading the book and watching the film because they weave together beautifully.  Saoirse’s acting in particular creates a visceral world full of emotion.  She has a connection to Eilis because she is Irish too, and she was born in New York, where her parents had moved to from Ireland at the time.  Watching the film, you can feel Saoirse’s connection to the story. I have lived on three continents and found the way both the book and film portrayed the emotions of moving very authentic and thoughtful. It is rare to find these experiences expressed onscreen, so I hope to see more films centred around this theme which is so meaningful to many people.

Image of Saoirse Ronan on Brooklyn film poster.