With deeper reading, the title of Yezierska’s novel becomes more and more indicative of the vital role and central focus on the Smolinsky daughters, most notably Sara, in the story. With their meager wages, the Smolinsky girls provide the bread for their family, both literally and in the more general, figurative sense (money).
This title highlights the inherently sad, unfair nature of these girls’ lives as members of a poor Jewish American family. As daughters and, more importantly, as women, they must live to work for money that will always go to their father, a man, who by nature is owed this money for his innate male closeness to God. Bessie, Mashah, Fania, and Sara must continue to give all of their hard earnings to their father for his use if they are to have any hope for the next world, to be protected and loved by God. It is only through their bread-giving, their service to a man, that they may reach Heaven, where they will continue to serve their men.
Sadly, Reb Smolinsky only views his daughters as bread-givers, his own personal money-makers and life-sustainers. He makes it abundantly clear how he views his flesh and blood when Berel Bernstein asked to marry Bessie, and the threat of her leaving the house posed itself. “[I]f you marry her, you’re as good as taking away from me my living–tearing the bread from my mouth.”
