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Title: Apartment Building in “Over the Rhine”, on Old Residential Neighborhood North of the Business District Date Created: 09/1973 Photographer: Hubbard, Tom, 1931- Source: The U.S. National Archives

“Home! Back to New York! Sara Smolinsky, from Hester Street, changed into a person! “.

Home for most people is considered to be where they grew up or they and their families reside. For Sara, “home” has conflicting definitions. Sara specifically is considered to be New York, but more specifically Hester Street. This scene in which Sara returns to Hester street is significant as it marks an important change in her life. This return mark Sara’s growth as she is able to reflect on her childhood and also note her interaction and journey through adulthood. Sara’s journey from a child living on Hester Street to an adult returning to Hester street shows how impactful this location has been to her and her existence. Sara says that she returns to Hester Street as a person, as if to say she was a nobody before. However, Sara’s return is able to change the perception she has of herself. This recognition by Sara depicts the lack of identity she felt as a child. Hester street is considered as the location in which Sara’s voice, opinion and desires were ignored and replaced by those of her father’s, thus prohibiting her growth. Despite this, Hester Street also becomes the place in which she returns and exudes her defiance and will power. The novel uses Hester street as the location in which Sara’s journey comes full circle by ultimately gaining an education and defying gender roles that were laid out by her father and her religion.