Bread Givers

Yezierska highlights the differences in Traditional Values Versus Modern Aspirations through Reb Smolinsky and Sara’s relationship. Sara’s individuation from her family causes her to pursue modern belief systems such as feminism, which directly contrasts with Reb Smolinsky’s traditional beliefs.

At the beginning of the narrative, Reb Smolinsky’s religion comforts his family as they experience displacement in America. Reb Smolinsky clings to his religion because it reminds him of their lifestyle in Poland. He does not adapt to the changing American environment like his wife and children because he directly benefits from the misogyny in his religion. At first, Sara and her family see anything outside of their community as a direct threat to their cultural identity. For example, when Reb Smolinsky slaps the landlady for stepping on the Torah, everyone who lives on Hester Street views this as a triumph for their united cultural identity. Reb Smolinsky’s faith and traditional values are a tool for maintaining the boundaries of his insular community and family in the face of Americanization.

However, as Sara grows up, she realizes that her personal beliefs do not align with her father’s religion and turns instead to modern aspirations that take her away from the traditional family unit.