“Bread Givers” is a look into lives of those who have little but sacrifice and give much. In it, the Smolinsky women diligently work all day, in and out of the home to provide. The vast majority of their provisions go straight to Reb Smolinsky, the man of the household. He preaches daily about getting into heaven, and spends his time studying the word of God whilst his family provides for him to live in comfort. By this context, the title of the book is very telling.
A Bread winner is the title given to the person who earns a living for a household, as they earn money to “win” bread (or food or supplies) which keeps their family alive. However, I think the idea of the Bread Giver is very significant. Not only does the Bread Giver earn the wages and win the bread, but they give it away. A bread winner gives to themselves, but a bread giver gives their earnings away. This idea is reflected in the novel, as the women are the ones sacrificing their hopes and dreams for the man. Reb Smolinsky’s family gives all they have away to him, which defies traditional gender roles as well as the idea of the American Dream (everyone working hard to earn what they get, every man for himself).
