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Francie Nolan: As a young girl, Francie is a bright, keenly-observant dreamer. She doesn't allow her family's poverty dull her fascination of small material things like the shops and pennies. She is the central character of the story, and out of everyone, she is the most loyal to her neighborhood in Brooklyn. We continuously see things from her eyes in the novel, and she has a sense of innocence you pick up on rather quickly. However, she has a very introspective personality which causes her to not have many friends. She also tries very hard to get her mother's affection, but they never grow as close as Katie and Neeley do. Even so, as she grows up, Francie values life more and has a complex view of the world that's very unique.
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Neeley Nolan: Neeley is a year younger than Francie. Because of this, they grew up pretty much side-by-side. However, Katie holds Francie back a year so the two of them can stay together in school. Neeley, of course, doesn't always like having his big sister around, and consistently hangs out with his friends to do "boy stuff." Even so, he's a lot like Johnny, and Katie says she's going to make Neeley into "the new and improved" Johnny, with only his good qualities, none of the bad. Neeley is a musician, much like his father, but is considered more of an artist than an entertainer. He's also not a drinker- he got drunk once and decided it wasn't for him. He's a hard-worker as well, and works to get a high school education.
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Katie Nolan: Katie is determined, hard-working, and prideful. She is determined to get her children out of poverty, and works hard to achieve that goal. She makes sure they have a good education, hoping for them to attend high school (seen as a luxury during this time). Even after Johnny dies, she refuses to allow Neeley and Francie to drop out. She works hard and cuts a lot of corners to keep a roof over their heads and save as much money as possible. Pride is also very important to her. She is ashamed of her sister, Sissy, and her...lifestyle. She makes sure that Neeley and Francie stay respectable. She favors Neeley over Francie, and it's very evident throughout the book.
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Johnny Nolan: Johnny can sing, dance and is very charming, but he also drinks. He feels as if he isn't a good enough husband or father in his family. However, despite his faults he tries so hard to please his family. He and Neeley are very similar, and through his interactions with Francie, we see he is a very loving father, he just doesn't make the best life choices for himself.
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Aunt Sissy: Sissy is a bad/good girl. She has a very loving and warming heart when it comes to kids and people in general. However, she is considered bad when it comes to men. She loves all and isn't ashamed of who she is or what she does. She cares for both Neeley and Francie throughout the book, and she'd do anything for them, even getting Francie the "library." She's a pretty cool aunt.