For East European Jewish girls, both American and Jewish expectations pointed at marriage and motherhood and they were expected to help the family out economically before marriage. It went without question that sons were  given priority to pursue education.

In an account of Anzia Yezierska, who was a novelist who struggled for many years with her father over her love of literature and writing, she claimed that she rebelled when she was young and took up numerous odd jobs to support herself. Unfortunately, years later, when she confronted her father, he said “A woman alone, not a wife and not a mother, has no existence.” Obviously his attitude and values have not changed.