The Gresham Hotel that Eilis and Rose eat lunch is a real location in Dublin, Ireland. This is an image of what the outside as well as the surrounding street would have looked like as they enjoyed Eilis's final day in Ireland.

This film still from the film adaptation of Brooklyn offers an recreation of what Bartocci's would have looked like.

Bartocci’s, the department store Eilis works at was likely inspired by Abraham and Strauss. Abraham and Strauss, also known as A&S, was a famous department store located at the corners of Hoyt and Fulton in Brooklyn. Abraham and Strauss was unlike the small and specialized shops (like Miss Kelly’s general store) that an Irish immigrant would have been used to at this time. A&S sold many different kinds of products, including clothing for all ages, furniture, and sporting goods. This was done in order to compete with other Brooklyn retailers and offer customers one-stop shopping.

This moment highlights the fact that Eilis and her fellow Irish immigrants are not the only minorities living in Brooklyn during this era. There are also many black women there who are now being allowed into Bartocci’s. Additionally, this moment shows how Eilis’s naiveness about the world can be seen as a positive trait because she has not been taught to be racist. Eilis believes that these young black women are just as glamorous and alluring as the white women EIlis admires.

Irish dance halls were very popular during the 1950's amongst Irish-Americans. They allowed people to have fun, dance, and also meet possible romantic partners. The image above parallels this moment in the text because it showcases how women tended to stay together in groups (like Patty, Diana, and Eilis) and wait for men to ask them to dance.

This moment occurs right after Eilis has ditched Dolores, the new Irish girl at the boarding house, to dance with Patty and Diana. She allows them to give her a makeover, which allows her to fit in with the other glamorous women and feel like less of an outcast. Almost immediately after changing her hair and makeup to fit in, she she meets Tony. Tony’s appearance is also significant because he embodies the ideal for what an attractive man at the time was supposed to look like. With his “blond hair and clear blue eyes,” Tony fits the standard of the “All-American” man. I also interpreted his short stature as him emulating male movie stars of this time period, like Gene Kelly or Marlon Brando, who were both quite short. Tony at this moment embodies what was the standard for what an American man looked like and matches Eilis’s new appearance as a glamorous American woman.

Although Eilis’s departure is the final page of the novel, it can also be seen as the beginning of her journey as her true self. Throughout the novel, Eilis has tried to be the perfect Irish girl as well as to be an American. By leaving her small town, Eilis is accepting that her future is hers to create and that she can refuse to abide by tradition. To have stayed behind and married Jim would have meant that Eilis would always policing herself to fit in her small town. She knows deep down that Jim doesn’t truly love her, but is more so attracted to her newfound confidence and glamorous appearance. Eilis also knows that Jim will ultimately forget about her and settle down with somebody new. This time in Eilis’s life is going to be about finding herself, not appeasing small-town Irish men and her mother.

This moment is such a powerful part of Brooklyn because it demonstrates the how other Irish immigrants are lonely and suffering in the United States. As readers learn from Father Flood, this room is filled with impoverished Irishmen who helped build the architecture of New York City (Toibin, 88). However, while this scene shows the negative sides of immigration, such as unemployment and isolation, it also demonstrates sense of comfort and understanding that one can receive when around people from their same homeland. Although readers know that this man as well as the others will be back working low-paying jobs or living on the streets the next day, for now they feel safe and part of a community of people who remind them of home. Additionally, when the man who Eilis mistakes for her father sings, the lyric “Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom/A stóirín mo chroí” is used. After reading the English translation, which is “If you’ll be mine, be mine/Oh treasure of my heart,” one can see this a love song from Ireland (“Casadh An”). The man is beckoning Eilis to stay close to her people and those who remind her of the past.

This moment demonstrates how different Eilis has become after spending two years in Brooklyn. The fact that she left the small town of Enniscorthy while people like Nancy and Jim stayed behind gives her the impression of being very worldly and glamorous. Nancy’s insistence that Eilis has changed showcases how much a person can evolve after they move away from their small town. This is because they able to be far away from the expectations of people who have known them their entire lives. Due to living on her own, Eilis has had the ability to evolve as a person while Nancy and Jim have not.

(I wasn't able to highlight the exact lines, so I am just posting my comment on the page).

Bartocci’s, the department store Eilis works at was likely inspired by Abraham and Strauss. Abraham and Strauss, also known as A&S, was a famous department store located at the corners of Hoyt and Fulton in Brooklyn. Abraham and Strauss was unlike the small and specialized shops (like Miss Kelly’s general store) that an Irish immigrant would have been used to at this time. A&S sold many different kinds of products, including clothing for all ages, furniture, and sporting goods. This was done in order to compete with other Brooklyn retailers and offer customers one-stop shopping.

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