Introduction to Introduction to Bread GiversBread Givers, by , by Anzia YezierskaAnzia Yezierska

Introduction to Author and Introduction to Author and Novel Novel

The Author: Anzia The Author: Anzia YezierskaYezierska

-Born 1880s, Poland

-Jewish

-Father: the Talmud

-contributions from neighbors honoring the father

-mother peddled goods

IMMIGRATIONIMMIGRATION

--Yezierska family Yezierska family immigrated immigrated around 1890around 1890

-Lower East -Lower East Side, ManhattanSide, Manhattan

- Yezierska - Yezierska Mayer Mayer

-Anzia -Anzia Harriet Harriet or Hattieor Hattie

Jewish Jewish ImmigrationImmigration

-Rosh Hashanah (Jewish -Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) greeting card New Year) greeting card from the early 1900s from the early 1900s

-Americanized Jews -Americanized Jews calling over European calling over European Jews Jews

-American Eagle above -American Eagle above American Jews, Russian American Jews, Russian coat of arms above coat of arms above Russian Jews Russian Jews

-Hebrew/Jewish writing on the bottom -Hebrew/Jewish writing on the bottom right (means “A Happy New Year”) right (means “A Happy New Year”)

Young Hattie Mayer (Anzia Yezierska) – Young Hattie Mayer (Anzia Yezierska) – Her Struggle for IndependenceHer Struggle for Independence

-Anzia’s (Hattie’s) jobs: -Anzia’s (Hattie’s) jobs:

-made homemade paper bags to sell-made homemade paper bags to sell

-laundromat -laundromat

-a waitress-a waitress

-sweatshop worker -sweatshop worker

-L-Left home at age seventeen eft home at age seventeen

-Lived at a home for working girls-Lived at a home for working girls

-Continued education and earned a -Continued education and earned a scholarship to study at Teachers College at scholarship to study at Teachers College at Columbia UniversityColumbia University

-Graduated -Graduated teacher teacher

-Later, befriended -Later, befriended feminists and socialists. feminists and socialists.

Rags-to-Riches: From Poor Jewish Rags-to-Riches: From Poor Jewish Immigrant Girl to Famous Writer Immigrant Girl to Famous Writer and Hollywood Screenwriter and Hollywood Screenwriter (We Started from the Bottom) (We Started from the Bottom) -Published first story in 1915; -Published first story in 1915; began receiving wide began receiving wide recognition in 1919. recognition in 1919.

-She was even given a $100,000 -She was even given a $100,000 contract to write scripts for contract to write scripts for Hollywood movies.Hollywood movies.

-Depicted the immigrant girl -Depicted the immigrant girl she had once been, trying to she had once been, trying to break away from her traditions break away from her traditions and religion and make a place and religion and make a place for herself in a new land. for herself in a new land.

-Expressed the turbulent -Expressed the turbulent relationship she had with her relationship she had with her father, who tried to force her father, who tried to force her to live a traditional to live a traditional lifestyle.lifestyle.

BREAD BREAD GIVERSGIVERS--AA coming-of-age story coming-of-age story about a about a Jewish-American immigrant girlJewish-American immigrant girl

--Semi-autobiographical: Semi-autobiographical: the main the main character, Sara Smolinsky, based character, Sara Smolinsky, based on the author.on the author.

-Sara is 10 years old at the -Sara is 10 years old at the beginning of the novel, and beginning of the novel, and lives in lives in the Lower East Side of the Lower East Side of ManhattanManhattan..

-She lives with her mother, -She lives with her mother, Shenah, her father, Moses Shenah, her father, Moses (nicknamed "Reb"), and her three (nicknamed "Reb"), and her three sisters, Bessie, Fania, and sisters, Bessie, Fania, and Mashah.Mashah.

Chapter Chapter 11-Smolinskys: struggling -Smolinskys: struggling to survive; Reb, the to survive; Reb, the Father, only cares Father, only cares about holy booksabout holy books

-Financial struggles -Financial struggles and family dynamics and family dynamics

-Conflict between Sara, -Conflict between Sara, who yearns for American who yearns for American ideals and ideals and independence, and her independence, and her father, who clings father, who clings obsessively to obsessively to traditional Jewish traditional Jewish culture culture