Research Assignment: Describe American Ethnic History

American Ethnic History
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American Ethnic History
Bread Givers is a fictional book that offers the experience of a Jewish immigrant woman who lived in the early 1900s. In the book, Yezierska, (1984), has involved her real life experiences. There is much to be learned from the book about the struggle of becoming American. The struggle to become American involved conflict between generations, tension in the change of gender roles in the Old Country and the United States and different opportunities and challenges. This paper will attempt to discuss these struggles as seen in the book Bread Givers.
For the case of conflict between generations, Yezierska, (1984), has showed this through the relationship of Sara and her father. For Sara, her life is caught between the world of her family’s life which is the way of the Old World and her search for Americanization. As Sara grew up, she saw her sisters go through hopelessness and heart breaks because their father was not able to adjust to the ways of the new world they lived. Sara left her home so as to find her world. Before she left, her father constantly suppressed her because he believed in the old ways that Sara did not believe in. The result of this difference of cultures and ways of living made Sara hate her father.
Other than conflict between generations is the change in gender roles. As off the Old World, Reb Smolinsky lives off the money that his wife and children provide. Reb is rather a bread taker instead of a breadwinner. The lifestyle in the United States suggests that the father is the bread winner. However, for Reb, that does not apply. Smolinsky is an irresponsible father and husband who has no respect for his daughters and wife. Also, he believes that women are nothing without men. Reb’s way of thinking makes his family suffer. The ways of living in the Old Country brought trouble in the United States.
In the list of opportunities, there is education. Education will help make a living in the United States easier. However, it comes with its challenges too. At college, Sara has the opportunity to create networks that will go past college. Nonetheless, her first experiences at college are not so encouraging. Sara is isolated in the class and also in her school dance because she does not have ‘white clean nails’ and ‘pink skin.’ Moreover, Sara struggles with physical education and geometry. Though, all the negative energy is turned into something beautiful. Adapting is not easy for Sara, but it helps her learn ho...