While reading Bread Givers, I enjoyed the first-person perspective offered in the novel. Contrasting from the previous books we read of this same time period, it followed one family rather than a whole immigrant group. While I recognized some of the facts of immigrant hardships, they were made more personal with a backstory- the backstory of Sara Smolinsky. For example, her father, Reb Smolinsky made the conscious decision to not send Sara to school until after she was ten years old. While most families had children and sent them to work in factories from the age of six, Reb allowed her to gain a basic education before sending her off to earn wages for the family, despite their extreme poverty. This was one of the few good decisions that he makes. Reb Smolinsky was quite the character because he was constantly contracting himself. He revolved these contradictions around his scripture, twisting the words and excerpts to suit his aim. I find it extremely frustrating that noone had recognized his tyrant ways before it was too late.

Looking at the book from a modern viewpoint, many of the things that occur in this book that I deem unbelievable were probably common events tied into the time period and immigrant theme. It seems that all of the daughters of Reb Smolinsky represented the different ways that women fit into immigrant society. Although unfortunate, Anzia Yezierska does an excellent job of expressing the emotions and situations that the immigrants lived in. To me, this account is far more provoking than previous readings because it is more effective in making the reader see the true living conditions of immigrants in 20th century New York.