Bread Givers
Analyzing the Bread Givers
Bread Givers, by Anzia Yezierska, is a novel about Sara Smolinsky, and her struggle remaining in the old world traditions or heading to the ever-changing new world. The novel has multiple themes, however, the main theme, of Anzia Yezierska’s writing, is the old world versus the new world. Old world versus new world is very evident in the beginning chapters when we first learn that the father of the house doesn’t work, controls the income to his liking1, and reads his holy books all day. Because in the old world you accepted everything your father said and never spoke back to him, even if you disagreed .Because in short the father was always right. The father also got the best part of the meals just because he is the father and you just accept it as that. An example of this is “So, since men were the only people who counted with God, Father not only had the best room for himself, for his study and prayers, but also the best eating of the house. The fat from the soup and the top from the milk went always to him.”2In the new world you live to survive there’s no father reigns supreme, who gets the best of everything because he’s father and religion also doesn’t play such a heavy role like it did in the old world an example of this is when the landlady comes to collect rent and basically belittles Reb Smolinsky telling him to get a job, and then finishes it by slapping the Holy Torah out of his hands which is a great sin in itself.” Hear him only! The dirty do-nothing! Go to work yourself! Stop singing prayers. Then you'll have money for rent!"" She took one step towards him and shut his book with such anger that it fell at her feet.”3This is new world versus old world, because a woman talk down to a man which never happened in the old world and then preceded to slap a religious book onto the floor with utmost disrespect, and that was
Bread Givers, by Anzia Yezierska, is a novel about Sara Smolinsky, and her struggle remaining in the old world traditions or heading to the ever-changing new world. The novel has multiple themes, however, the main theme, of Anzia Yezierska’s writing, is the old world versus the new world. Old world versus new world is very evident in the beginning chapters when we first learn that the father of the house doesn’t work, controls the income to his liking1, and reads his holy books all day. Because in the old world you accepted everything your father said and never spoke back to him, even if you disagreed .Because in short the father was always right. The father also got the best part of the meals just because he is the father and you just accept it as that. An example of this is “So, since men were the only people who counted with God, Father not only had the best room for himself, for his study and prayers, but also the best eating of the house. The fat from the soup and the top from the milk went always to him.”2In the new world you live to survive there’s no father reigns supreme, who gets the best of everything because he’s father and religion also doesn’t play such a heavy role like it did in the old world an example of this is when the landlady comes to collect rent and basically belittles Reb Smolinsky telling him to get a job, and then finishes it by slapping the Holy Torah out of his hands which is a great sin in itself.” Hear him only! The dirty do-nothing! Go to work yourself! Stop singing prayers. Then you'll have money for rent!"" She took one step towards him and shut his book with such anger that it fell at her feet.”3This is new world versus old world, because a woman talk down to a man which never happened in the old world and then preceded to slap a religious book onto the floor with utmost disrespect, and that was