The person01–03
01·Who they are
Who is Aunt Sissy?
Aunt Sissy Rommely is the youngest of the Rommely sisters and possibly the most vibrantly alive character in Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. While the novel's Brooklyn is often grey with poverty and the struggle for respectability, Sissy arrives in scenes with a burst of colour — voluptuous, frank, and cheerfully indifferent to neighbours' opinions. She works in a factory, moves through a series of men she collectively calls "John" (concealing the scandal by consistently telling the same story), and has a physical warmth that compels her to stop and admire any baby carriage she passes. Brooklyn society criticizes her; the Nolan children adore her. Smith presents her not as a cautionary tale but as a genuine alternative model for women in early twentieth-century immigrant Brooklyn.
02·Arc & motivation
What is Aunt Sissy's arc and motivation?
Sissy starts the novel already legendary — her multiple marriages are established family lore before her first appearance. Her driving force is a nearly primal hunger for love and life, but beneath her laughter lies a grief she cannot dismiss: she has repeatedly carried pregnancies to term only to deliver stillborn children. This private sorrow shadows every festive entrance she makes, and Smith deepens what could otherwise appear to be a purely comic figure. The turning point in Sissy's arc occurs when she defies societal suspicion of medical intervention and consults a doctor about her inability to carry a living child. This act is quietly radical — a working-class woman asserting that her body deserves expert care rather than silent suffering. She ultimately delivers a healthy baby, which re-centres her. She commits to her "new John," embraces a stability she previously evaded, and channels her tremendous capacity for love into motherhood. The arc transitions from restless abundance to purposeful rootedness, without requiring Sissy to apologise for her past.
03·Key moments
What are Aunt Sissy's key moments?
The scenes where Sissy visits the Nolan flat are consistently the warmest in the novel — she brings food, money when available, and an atmosphere of uncomplicated affection that Katie's exhausted discipline sometimes cannot provide. Her candid conversations with Francie about the female body and sexuality hold significant weight: at a time when most adults retreat into euphemism or silence, Sissy speaks plainly, and Smith portrays this honesty as a form of genuine protection. Sissy's grief over Johnny Nolan's death is another crucial moment — her sorrow is heartfelt and sincere, confirming that her affections, however freely offered, are never superficial. Finally, the birth of her living child marks the emotional climax for her character: the woman who laughed loudest at life is revealed to have desired, above all else, to create it.
The cast04–05
04·Relationships
What are Aunt Sissy's most important relationships?
With Francie, Sissy serves as a third parent and a mythological figure — the free woman Francie regards as proof that unconventional lives are possible. Sissy's physical and emotional openness provides Francie with a vocabulary for womanhood that Katie, weighed down by necessity, cannot offer.
With Katie, the sisterly bond is marked by both love and friction. Katie's pragmatic respectability feels genuine embarrassment at Sissy's serial "Johns," yet she never turns her sister away, and Sissy never stops showing up. Their dynamic exemplifies the novel's broader argument that survival takes many different forms.
With Mary Rommely, Sissy represents the child most difficult to fold into Old World devotion. Mary's fierce, quiet love for all her daughters remains steadfast, and Sissy's eventual settled happiness emerges as a late answer to her mother's prayers — achieved entirely on Sissy's own terms.
With Johnny Nolan, Sissy recognizes a kindred spirit: charming, warm, and ill-suited to the harsher realities of life. Her affection for him is sisterly and unguarded, and his death profoundly affects her.
05·Connected characters
How is Aunt Sissy connected to the other characters?
Study06–07
06·Questions
Questions readers ask about Aunt Sissy
How many times has Aunt Sissy been married?
Sissy has been married several times, enough to scandalise respectable Brooklyn society, though she conceals the full extent of the scandal by calling every husband "John" and telling the same story each time. Smith presents these serial marriages not as moral failure but as evidence of Sissy's primal hunger for love and life, reflecting her refusal to let social judgement dictate her choices.
Why does Aunt Sissy call all her husbands 'John'?
Sissy calls every husband "John" as a practical way to conceal the scandal of her multiple marriages, always telling the same story regardless of which man she is with. The motif hints at something deeper: a quiet assertion of female self-preservation and a critique of marriage as an institution, suggesting the men are somewhat interchangeable while Sissy herself remains the constant.
What is Aunt Sissy's greatest sorrow in the novel?
Sissy's greatest sorrow is her repeated inability to carry a pregnancy to term, having endured several stillbirths that quietly shadow her outward vivacity. Smith uses this private grief to complicate what might otherwise seem a purely comic figure, revealing that Sissy's exuberant love of life coexists with a profound, unspoken longing to create it.
How does Aunt Sissy's story end — does she finally have a living child?
Yes, Sissy ultimately gives birth to a healthy child after defying societal taboos by seeking medical help for her inability to carry a baby to term. This moment marks the emotional climax of her arc: she commits to a stable marriage with her "new John" and channels her enormous capacity for love into motherhood, transitioning from restless freedom to purposeful rootedness.
What is Aunt Sissy's relationship with Francie Nolan?
Sissy functions as a third parent and a near-mythological figure for Francie, representing proof that an unconventional life is possible. Crucially, she is the only adult who speaks to Francie candidly about the body, sexuality, and womanhood, offering a vocabulary that an exhausted, pragmatic Katie cannot. Their bond portrays the passing of resilience and joy across generations.
How does Aunt Sissy's relationship with Katie differ from her relationship with Francie?
With Katie, Sissy shares a bond defined by both love and friction — Katie loves her sister but is frequently embarrassed by the serial "Johns" and the gossip they attract, while Sissy consistently shows up to help the Nolan household regardless. With Francie, there is uncomplicated adoration on both sides, free of the tension that Katie's commitment to respectability creates.
Is Aunt Sissy a villain or a bad influence in 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'?
Sissy is not a villain; Smith presents her as a genuine and admirable alternative model for womanhood rather than a cautionary tale. Her sexuality and her disregard for respectability are treated as expressions of authenticity and generosity, not as moral failings. Neighbours may disapprove, but the novel's sympathies lie firmly with Sissy's warmth, candour, and resilience.
How does Aunt Sissy respond to Johnny Nolan's death?
Sissy's grief at Johnny's death is heartfelt and sincere, confirming that her affections — however freely offered throughout the novel — are never superficial. She and Johnny are kindred spirits: both charming, warm, and ill-suited to life's harsher realities. Her sorrow at his loss deepens her characterisation and underscores her genuine, lasting bond with the entire Nolan family.
07·Essay angles
Use this in your essay
Tool · Essay angles
The body as site of joy and grief: Explore how Sissy's stillbirths and her eventual successful birth complicate the interpretation of her as merely a life-force figure
Respectability and its costs: Compare Sissy's journey with Katie's. Does the novel imply that Sissy's path