In Brooklyn: A Novel, Colm Toibin recounts the experience of an ordinary young woman named Eilis Lacey, who leaves Enniscorthy, Ireland, to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York. Like many immigration narratives, immigration and coming of age develop the protagonist's identity and character. For Eilis, this development is represented through the change in her body and physical appearance. Her smiling, crying, and wearing makeup shape how her character and identity come of age and become mature and confident. The decisive experience of settling into a new life and coming of age changes its aspect from negative to positive. In Brooklyn: A Novel, the concept of change in Eilis' identity and character is prominent and represented through her physical and bodily appearance, smiling, crying, and use of makeup. The physical aspect of the smile is depicted early in the novel before Eilis emigrates to Brooklyn and leaves behind her mother and sister, Rose. Eilis associates the atmosphere of her home with the sadness before her departure and puts her mother and sister's feelings before her own when she thinks: She would make them believe, if she could, that she can't wait to go to America and leaving home for the first time. She promised herself that not for a moment would she give them the slightest hint of what she felt, and that she would keep it hidden if necessary until she was away from them. There was enough sadness in the house, perhaps even more than he realized. He would do his best not to say anything else. What she should have done in the days before departure and on the morning of departure was to smile, so that they would remember her smiling. (Toibin 33) In this quote, Eilis tells herself not to add more sadness to the atmosphere, rather make them believe that she can't wait to get to Brooklyn..