Comparison of the Old World Values to the New World Values in Bread Givers - Essay Example

? Bread Givers Comparison of the Old World Values to the New World Values in Bread Givers In his article “Bread givers,” written 1925 by AnziaYezieska discusses his view on the class of tradition values and the modern worlds. Anzia in her book also shows different migrants; Americans dreams. The book describes a story of a small daughter Sara struggling to earn a living in the middle of poverty; clashing between the old religious values and those independent values held by the daughter. Studying religious books were more valued than the women’s comfort that were left struggling to feed the family1. Sara fought towards attaining independence and self-fulfillment. The writer chooses his title significantly because it shows how women struggle to provide for their families. Anzia writes about young girls who struggle to be independent by breaking traditions. Sara says, “The more I start to review my inner self, I do not want some day to make myself for a person and among people2.” Sara father is the only man in the house and should the sole breadwinner in the according to the religion. Sara’s father ironically prefers to read Torah and believe in heavenly promises rather to work for the family. AnziaYezieska wrote even about her own life where she sacrifices for children and husband. Education and career was for men only who do not make any money. Mashah despairs as her husband makes no money and has to struggle hard to make ends meet. We see the inch-by-inch improvement of the family’s practices, just as a tidy table linen changes to be hard work’s treasured reward. The difference between the cultural values of the daughter and the father shows how the Europeans (old world) differed from those of the United States (new world). Religious values in the two the world where different. Sara’s father believed in just sitting down and reading Toran and other Gods teaching to humanity. Sarah in the other side has seen the light has a sense of independence. Everything we get in life we must work for it and religion is the one thing that unites not separating people. Religion also did not give room for women to be part of it. “The prayers of his daughters did not count because God did not listen to women,” just as it was in these religious minds. “What’s a woman without a man? Less than nothing. A blotted out the existence, no life on earth, just as there is no satisfaction in heaven3” (205). The American world gave a chance to women to prove they are able to do. “In America, women do not need men to boss them” (137). Sara went to school and defiled her father’s wishes so that she can be independent and free.” In America,Torah learning; here individuals have to earn a living first.” The old world also required daughters and women to get married or work for their families without getting any education. Husbands and marriages were decided by their fathers, and there was no other option but to respect it. Every daughter in the family fell in love, but their father frustrated their relationship except for Sara who chose to run away and find her independent life. The Jewish never believed in love, happiness, and forgiveness. Sara says she rather dies than to be forced to a marriage she did not want. She tells her sister “I do not want to get married. I have set out to do something, and I am going to do if even if it kills me”. United States of America gave chances to women. They went to schools, as be men and do whatever they wanted with their lives. Happiness is the priority of every American. Sara compares knowledge and love and how thrilling now it is that, she is wanted for her work but not a man. Jennifer Hochschild defines the American dream as the promise held out to each American that they get significant chance of attaining prosperity by their own effort. Anzia the author of the believed that independence was a dream of every woman. She had to defy the odds and search for independence to attain that American dream. Sara runs away from home to be free and do what she wanted in life. In his text, in the Epic of America, Adam refers to America as the “dream of land…with opportunity for each according to his own ability or achievement” (6). Jewish immigrants saw America as a place to be, built of understanding4. ”All men are created equal” and women are given a chance to explore their potentials and be part of the society. American dream is a life that provides whole life especially for the minority. “My will is as strong as yours. I am going to carry on with individual life. No one have a chance to stop me. I am not from the old country. I’m American5.” (137,138)Sara and his family had moved to America to avoid Jewish prosecution and only to land in tenement buildings with abject poverty. The increasing conflict between her and her father drove her to say this. Reb had bought grocery store only to realize he been lied to by the seller, and because his religion told him nobody is injured, all people are virtuous. Sarah argued with her father saying how crazy religion had turned him to be and the father refused.” "No girl may survive without a male to ptotect them6” (136). Anzia in her book bread giver shows how Sara responded to this. Other than Sara in the novel, other characters have also played a significant role. RebSmolinsky is the father of the three daughters, Sara being the last born. He has been portrayed as a weak character because he allowed religion to enslave him even after moving to America. She believed in reading and memorizing Tora and God’s work towards humanity. Spent all the time in religious book rather than working for the family who were struggling to make ends meet. Believed so much on the Jewish religion, which degraded women and gave them no chance to prove themselves. His religion drove him from realities of life and brought a lot of conflicts rather than peace with his family. Wife and daughters worked to feed him and give him money because he was always busy memorizing Tora. Even when her wife was dying in hospital, he could not be with because religion could not allow for. The transition from the old world to the new world failed because Reb stuck to his religion. America is a place where everybody has to earn a living (8), Reb never worked or allowed his daughters to be independent. He made wrong decisions due to this and drove his family to exile. Married daughters without her own will, wife died and Sara ran away from home. This even got him to have some issues with the society after fighting with the property owner. Sara sister Bessie Smolinsky is a strong character who worked hard for his family. The weight of responsibility of feeding, clothing and a father who is waiting for money degraded him. She allowed herself to be manipulated and married off by her religious father. The duties could not even allow her to discover herself alongside what she wants in life. The consequence of this is that it made her resign to little things without even dreaming for. She fell got married to an angler because of the financial security. Sara Smolinsky was the last-born daughter in the family who is dubbed “Blut und Isen, ”which may be translated as blood and Iron, just as she press her freedom from the control of her father’s old-world values and eventually runs away from home. She painfully describes how she worked hard to get her education. She completed school, became a teacher, and narrates how now she is being looked for her work but not men to marry. She even chooses education over her family, “I could see you later. However, Icannot go to college later7” (171). Sara succeeded to some extent to change to the new world because she was able to get an education and freedom. The irony is her life revolved around her father, and not evens his mother or the struggling sister who later even lived with her father varied. References: Anzia,Y. The bread givers. (1925).New York, NY: Springer Publishers. Bradford, W. (1981). Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647. New York, NY: Random House. Truslow Adams. The Epic of American dream.(1931). AnziaYezierska. New York: SAGE Publishers. Wieking, B. (2006). The Jewish Immigrant Experience in AnziaYezierska's Bread Givers and Mary Antin'sThe Promised Land. USA: GRIN Verlag publishers. Read More