“Mammeh!” I begged. “Let me only go out to peddle with something. I got to bring in money if no one is working. “Woe is me!” Mother cried. “How can I stand it? An empty head on one side and craziness on the other side”.(20)

Yezierska , Anzia’s novel Bread Givers, gives her readers a window  into the desperation situation families some times find their self in, the choices may not be acceptable to their customs or tradition but there is not much option. Today there are many families in such situation, some are homeless and some are in desperate need for financial help. The labor laws in the United States of America today would  put Sara’s parents in handcuffs and taken them to court for child abuse because they allow their ten years old daughter to sell herring on the corner of Hester Street. The Law is very straight as to what age a child can work and how many hours per week.  Sara begged her mother to allow her to go out and sell on the corner of Hester Street among other pushcart peddler who were mostly adults. There are children out in todays society’s who do go out on a daily basses and sell candies and other items to earn money. This link takes you to a sensor map of Hester Street in the 1900.

https://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=56738462&t=w 

Work Cited

Yezierska, Anzia  Bread Givers, Persea Books , New York 1970

Google search engine, 2018

New York Public Library Digital Collection:https://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=56738462&t=

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