Essay on “Bread Givers” by Anzia Yezierska

Bread Givers Essay Saras Identity In the book Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska a young girl from poland grows up in america. Set in the 1920s conditions for immigrants living in the United States were tough, not to mention living in the pocket-sizeer East side of Manhattan, New York. Reb Smolinsky the drive of Sara in this book really tries on impressing his beliefs onto his children for he is very set on his traditional ways. This becomes a very prominent underlying to the chronicle as Sara grows through fall out the book moving from her fathers beliefs to her deliver.This clash between the old way of doing things and her late American life style Sara spreads free from this conflict in finding her own individuation in this new world. By doing so Sara really connect and Identifies with three main factors in her life independence, statement and grave work. With these three basic elements in Saras life she really transitions into her own being and self identity. throughout most of the spring of the book Sara is oppressed by her fathers tyranny that drives her to crave independence.After her father demolishes the lives of Saras three other sisters she began to see that Father, in his innocent craziness to hold up the frolicsome of the Law to his children, was as a tyrant more terrible than the Tsar from Russia (Yezierska, 64-65). As this is in force(p) the beginning of Saras unrest with her father it is none the less the beginning of the end for their relationship. Because she does come to the end of her assiduity with her father. With him constantly beating her her down she would never be suitable to vocalize or blossom into her own ideas or beliefs.He would constrict all of her self identity out if she was unable to break free from him. Im smart enough to look out for myself. Its a new life now. In America, women dont need men to boss them (Yezierska, 137). Sara at long last speaks her mind along with realizing she is able to break free from tradit ion and be independent in this new world. America had really shaped her ideals and helped to take a crap that pathway to break away. As she is independent she discovers herself through the freedom of being on her own. As seen when she is finally in freedom on her own. My hands clutched at the knob. This door was life.It was air. The bottom starting-point of bonny a person. I simply must have this room with the come together door (Yezierska, 159) Having her own place would create the stemma spot for her dreams and aspirations. By now having her own place she is able to cut herself from her family and their hold on her opinions. She is able to break free and now allow her the freedom needed to discover her identity. As she clearly states when she says starting-point of becoming a person, this defines her. Education makes its impression on Sarah when she immediately connects and realizes her dream of becoming a teacher.Giving education a high value in her life. A school teacher-I I saw myself sitting buttocks like a lady at my desk, the children, their eyes on me, watching and waiting for me to call out the different ones to the board, to spell a word, or answer me a question. It was like looking up to the line of longitude of the highest skyscraper while down in the gutter (Yezierska, 155). When she imagines what this one girl had done she realized thats what she wants. This teacher symbolizes a better life for Sara, a life Sara is determined to pass. The still thing keeping her from achieving this is education.Education becomes what she believes to be the only gateway to the better life she wants. I becomes what defines her as her and changes her status. Finally starting her way to her dream she goes to school. patch there she gets her dream and love of education rekindled. There was one in the school who was what I imagine a teacher to be- the principal, Mr. Hugo Seeling. He kept that living thing, that fame, that i used to worship as a child (Yezier ska, 270). The passion she describes here is what directly comes from her and her desire. She puts teaching and education on a pedestal just like hr father puts his faith.She strives to get that same identity with education as a teacher as her father does with the Torah and his religion. Even Fania comp atomic number 18s them saying Come, Bessie. Lets leave her to her mad education. Shes worse than Father with his Holy Torah (Yezierska, 178). This shows how strongly Sara really takes education in her life. Just like the Torah is her fathers identity this is hers. Sara in time when she was young believed in firmly work. She wouldnt hold herself to a lower standard even if it was easier. When she goes to procure herring from Muhmenkeh the elderly women offers to give them to her free.In which Sara replies Nono Im no beggar I want to go into business like a person. I must buy what I got to betray (Yezierska, 21). Even as a young child Sara refuses to take the easy route and accept this charity. She wants to name it for herself and rise above the life of a beggar. To not let herself be defined and lumped with the poor low lives that dont take the initiative to do better in life. This unuttered work is what fuels her to achieve her dreams. As wonderful as living and being on her own is Sara quickly figures out how terrible it is.Because in order to pursue her dream she must work hard in order to reserve herself while going to school. Not to mention give herself time to study and understand what she is learning in order to move on in school. As you had to shut your eyes to the dirt, so you must shut your ears to the noise. A quietness within me soothed my tortured nerves. I turned to my books on the table, and with fierce determination to swallow hole myself into my head, I began my lesson again (Yezierska, 164). She pushes herself through this hard time unlike most people in hard times that just give up.Instead she pushes onward and later on sees the rewa rd of her hard work. Through these hard ships they mold her more and more into who Sara Smolinsky is and becomes. With out this determination and freedom of thought she would never have created her identity for herself. There are many other factors throughout the book that take its toll on Saras life and shape the way she changes. Although these three are the most strongly associated with how she identifies herself because these are all characteristics that are unique to her. By the end of the book Sara has fully embraced these and discovered herself.