Elizabeth Lillian Wehner was born on December 15, 1896, Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. She is the daughter of Irish immigrant John Wehner and German immigrant Catherine Wehner. Elizabeth was the oldest of three kids in the Wehner family; she had a spark of literature in her blood which made her want to enhance her education to the fullest. At the age of 14, Elizabeth had to drop out of school to get a job to support her poor family. However, after 5 years, she attended an all girl’s high school and became the school's newspaper editor. This small job sparked the start of Elizabeth’s career in writing.
After high school, she attended University of Michigan in 1927-1930, expanding her knowledge of writing plays and finding her first love, George Howard Edward Smith, in 1919. In college, Elizabeth wrote many articles and plays that allowed to the Chicago Tribune and the New York Herald Tribune to notice her unique gift of writing. Later in her life she attended Yale University of Drama co-editing plays with Keogh and Finch and writing a one act play catalog. Despite having two kids and divorcing her husband in 1939, Betty Smith still wrote.
In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, published in 1943, Betty Smith puts her own experiences into the book. Every character reflects how her life was. You would think Betty based Francie on herself, and she did, along with Katie and Sissy. Francie, a child with a vivid imagination and a love for literature, is Betty’s inner gift. Katie is the hard worker side of Betty. Her determination and will shows how Betty pushed through her hard times in her career just like Katie did with her husband and children. Betty was a woman who married three times. Once at a young age, others at times for literature and comfort. And, like Sissy, she married a lot. However Sissy married to fill in the hole of love and comfort that she wished to give out to her deceased children. The setting of book demonstrates the way Betty lived as a child. Poor but rich, in the streets of Brooklyn, trying to survive among all of the diversity.
The novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn sold 150,000 copies and almost 6 million all together. It grossed her 1 million dollars covering movie rights to the Twentieth Century company. The sensation of Betty’s technique went all around the world. She won 3 academy awards, had her novel made into a radio series, and even had her book translated into 25 different languages.
With part of the money she earned from her first novel, she funded a program with the University of North Carolina that gave out annual play-writing awards. Even though Betty’s second and third novels weren't as financially good as her first, they still became paper backs and set out the way and type of style her other novels became in her career.
Betty Smith was a member of many associations that allowed her to express her style in many ways and help other people express their own ways, too. After Betty Smith moved to Shelton, Connecticut, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She died in her sleep on January 17, 1972 at the age of 75.
Author Betty smith influenced many people during her time and many people now in our time. Her style still moves people to this day.
After high school, she attended University of Michigan in 1927-1930, expanding her knowledge of writing plays and finding her first love, George Howard Edward Smith, in 1919. In college, Elizabeth wrote many articles and plays that allowed to the Chicago Tribune and the New York Herald Tribune to notice her unique gift of writing. Later in her life she attended Yale University of Drama co-editing plays with Keogh and Finch and writing a one act play catalog. Despite having two kids and divorcing her husband in 1939, Betty Smith still wrote.
In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, published in 1943, Betty Smith puts her own experiences into the book. Every character reflects how her life was. You would think Betty based Francie on herself, and she did, along with Katie and Sissy. Francie, a child with a vivid imagination and a love for literature, is Betty’s inner gift. Katie is the hard worker side of Betty. Her determination and will shows how Betty pushed through her hard times in her career just like Katie did with her husband and children. Betty was a woman who married three times. Once at a young age, others at times for literature and comfort. And, like Sissy, she married a lot. However Sissy married to fill in the hole of love and comfort that she wished to give out to her deceased children. The setting of book demonstrates the way Betty lived as a child. Poor but rich, in the streets of Brooklyn, trying to survive among all of the diversity.
The novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn sold 150,000 copies and almost 6 million all together. It grossed her 1 million dollars covering movie rights to the Twentieth Century company. The sensation of Betty’s technique went all around the world. She won 3 academy awards, had her novel made into a radio series, and even had her book translated into 25 different languages.
With part of the money she earned from her first novel, she funded a program with the University of North Carolina that gave out annual play-writing awards. Even though Betty’s second and third novels weren't as financially good as her first, they still became paper backs and set out the way and type of style her other novels became in her career.
Betty Smith was a member of many associations that allowed her to express her style in many ways and help other people express their own ways, too. After Betty Smith moved to Shelton, Connecticut, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She died in her sleep on January 17, 1972 at the age of 75.
Author Betty smith influenced many people during her time and many people now in our time. Her style still moves people to this day.