In Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers, the story of a woman named Sara Smolinsky is told. The latter tries to assimilate into American culture, but there are too many challenges that avert her from doing it. Due to the cultural limitations of the Jewish, Sara has to work hard in order to earn for living because Jewish women are seen as a major source of income. As a result, she does not have the time and resources to take care of herself because of the strict need to provide for her family at all times. Also, there is Sara’s father, whose main occupation is to study the holy Jewish text. Accordingly, Sara Smolinsky faces major obstacles on the way to attaining success because of being a female and attempting to overturn the long-standing cultural limitations for the sake of achieving her own definition of the American dream and living a better life.
The decision to stop reaching out to her family and start worrying about herself was one of the toughest for Sara. The sense of the need to attain personal fulfillment pushed her forward as well. The woman works for ten hours daily, takes night classes, and also studies when at home. When Sara talks to her mother about visiting home, she says that “every last minute has to go to [her] studies” (Yezierska 171). This shows Sara’s determination and willingness to overcome the stereotypical view of Jewish women that has been imposed on them by society. Despite the mother’s concern, Sara keeps on pursuing her dreams because she feels as if she has to “make herself for a person” in order to get married happily (Yezierska 172).
One more idea that stems from the thesis of the current paper is that Sara lacks individuality because of having to comply with the Jewish culture and give up on her own wellbeing. Therefore, Sara’s sisters believe that she is irrational for pursuing the American dream and that “she’s worse than Father with his Holy Torah” (Yezierska 178). The growing amount of pressure from her family does not faze Sara, as she keeps going forward despite seeing her sisters and parents unhappy. Therefore, Sara keeps moving forward because she sees the American dream as an opportunity to resolve criticism and doubt bestowed upon her. The need to achieve new heights goes beyond Sara’s need for love and affection since she even breaks up with her partner, Max, in order to advance. Evidently, the Torah’s idea of a woman being less than nothing without a man does not resonate with Sara either.
Even though it was exceptionally hard for Sara to overcome the burden of orthodox Jewish culture to make her own life, it was totally worth the effort. The contrast between Sara’s and her family’s beliefs became the moving power for Sara’s determination to achieve more. By working hard, Sara earned individuality and the power to be independent. Even her feeling of unfulfillment is temporary, as she quickly realizes that her wellbeing does not depend on a man. At the same time, as a female, Sara is expected to provide solely for her family because of the parents not being apt enough. The new identity that Sara developed after running away and finding her independence is the epitome of happiness and fulfillment, especially after prolonged exposure to orthodox Jewish values.
Work Cited
Yezierska, Anzia. Bread Givers. Simon and Schuster, 2021.