Inequality In Bread Givers, By Anzia Yezierska

In terms of equality, we aren’t meeting the expectations of the founding fathers because in today's society there are race, income, and gender inequalities. These all have to do with social darwinism, male chauvinism, and social class degradation. It was stated in the Declaration of Independence “We all hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” By the founding fathers we are expected to have these rights, but the way the world is today we don’t have them. The people of the United States should try to fight for our rights.

Racial inequality was something that existed before and

still something that definitely still exists today unfortunately. There was the Brown vs. Board of Education case that triggered all America, the “NAACP lawyers brought class action lawsuits on behalf of black schoolchildren and their families in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware seeking court orders to compel school districts to let black students attend white public schools.” (Brown, Pbs.org) Brown said the court was violating the Fourteenth Amendment that “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” With the other black kids, they were separate but not equal they weren’t getting the same education as the white kids. Everyone wants their kids to have a good education and pursue a good career when they’re older that's why they are all fighting for this right we should all have. Americans live in a country where people value peace with one another to feel united.

In the novel of Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska there was unfairness to a family just because they didn’t have money, and the whole family were hanging on the older daughter’s neck for her wages.

“I saw that success failure, poverty, riches, were price tags, money values of the market place which had mesmerized and sidetracked me for years.” (Yezierska). She was distracted and enchanted by the thoughts of wanting to be rich. She wanted to be rich so she could have the same opportunities that other people did and live a normal life. "Pay me out, little by littler! The cheek of those dirty immigrants! A fool I was, giving them a chance another month." Lack of money means lack of respect because the landlord knew the borders couldn’t do anything to solve the problem. They weren’t able to pay the rent so that is the reason why the landlord talks to them in a rude manner. Also, for the fact that they are immigrants they are seen degraded from the rest of other races and are suffering to make money. “Most low-wage workers receive no health insurance, sick days, or pension plans from their employers.” (Amadeo, balance.com) Those who really need help aren’t getting it and they are the ones suffering. People who are making more money get all the benefits, and they take advantage of them. The lower class of people become open to doing anything to get money because they can’t nurture their families and it becomes worse for society because it spreads and more than half of Americans are

poor.

Women have the right to do but there's always a way where the men are dominating. There were gender role inequalities the novel of Raisin in the Sun written in the era of the 1950’s by Lorraine Hansberry. Walter (ones of the main characters of the story) said to Beneatha “Who the hell told you to be a doctor? If you so crazy messing around with sick people then be a nurse like other woman or just get married and be quiet.”(Hansberry). Men were seen as to be the ones who take care of everything and women weren’t worthy enough to have the same rights as men. Men also didn’t want woman to pass them. “Somebody tell me who decides which women is suppose to wear pearls in this world. I tell you I am a man, and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world!" He feels that whatever he says the woman should do it immediately, he’s the boss. Ever though he’s African American he doesn’t much rights in the outside world he’s still trying to hang on to whatever power he already has.

We live in a world that is full of inequalities it is reflected in literature as it is in the real world. Everyone should be created equal because that’s how this country was founded. There are a lot of things that unite people and we have to put our differences aside, in order to have the country that our founding fathers wanted.