The Struggle In Bread Givers By Sara Smolinsky

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Recommended: Gender roles in the 1920s

In Bread Givers, Sara Smolinsky faces the hardships in life involving poverty, oppression towards women during her period of time, and the need for independence. Being the youngest of three sisters, she is able to observe how her father has interjected his way into the lives of her three older sister’s. In contrast to her sisters, Sara has a mind of her own and initiates a desire to improve and become more than her father wants her to stand for. It is evident that in her journey to success, Sara is unable to express herself in a distinct way from how her family has raised her. They ridicule her and make her to believe she is the cold hearted daughter. In reality, she is the only one that has foreseen how the future, and how living in America …show more content…

It is told from the beginning, how since a young age Sara has felt the stress of of not being able to pay the rent for their home and being thrown out into the streets (Yezierska 1). Bessie, her oldest sister, is known as the “burden bearer” and gives all of her wages to her father, Reb, in order to support the family. They are in a perpetual state of not having enough to live by and soon comprehend that it is the father’s wrongdoing that is causing the family to the loss of their wealth. Instead of the Reb feeding his family he is feeding himself knowledge about religion while neglecting them. “If I were only a widow, people would pity themselves on me. But with you around, they think I got a bread giver when what I have is a stone giver” (Yezierska 127). Sara’s mother is aggravated by her husband at this point of the book. His unemployment does not harm him, but causes a great burden as he takes the money that they need try to …show more content…

They are able to witness her success of finally becoming a teacher and pulling herself out of poverty. But there is conflict arising because of her mother who is severely ill and is not able to live much longer. Sara tries her best to be there for her mother in her last moments on earth. Though, when her mother passes away, Sara is still harassed by her father as being known as the “hard heart” of the family even though he is worried more about who will take care of him and his needs. She sees the her father will not change his ways. He also tries to complicate her life more as times progresses, but she does not let this cease her new life. This novel has extraordinarily displayed the story of a girl seeking her own independence and overcoming her predicaments while having multiple barriers continuing to overthrow her from her intentions. She experienced a life filled with anxiety and hopelessness in regards to how no one was able to contradict her father’s beliefs and not knowing how to live life on her own. Despite all the dilemma in her life, Sara is able to overcome it all and became the women she yearned to

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