"The Story of an Hour" gave us a taste of 1890s life.... train crashes, women's rights, the liberating experience of shock, of losing one's head, so to speak....
the hope for some kind of new identity perhaps?
This hope for a new life/identity is one I think you'll find in Yekl as well----how America appeared to be a place where one could form/forge an identity.
I'm not sure why, but I've always been struck by the novella's opening scene--I think a lot is contained there. This is the world of sweatshops and garment workers, the Yiddish New York of Russian Jews .... but it seems like more.
Don't know what Yiddish was? It brought us the words klutz and schmuck!
For those really interested see:
http://dialectblog.com/2011/06/09/yiddish-new-york-accent/
(B. Taylor in the house) While reading the opening scene, the description of Jake/Yekl’s physique while he demonstrates a boxing match, “the performances of his brawny arms and magnificent form” reminded me of Sandow (I suppose he's unforgettable). I think in a way, the Jewish immigrants were all fighting their way to the American Dream as the text states, “artisans, merchants, teachers, rabbis, artists, beggars – all come in search for fortune.” Also, not sure of the relevance but it seems the Yiddish speakers measure their success/social-standing in America by how strong their English is. I found it interesting, while in the dance hall, it's noted that the Yiddish girls speak English better than their male counterparts...
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ReplyDeleteWhile reading Yekl I started wondering about the sweatshop industry in relation to the Jewish immigrants. Cahan's description of the shop made me wonder what it actually looked like inside, so I found a few pictures, and it looks very uncomfortable. Also, the hours the immigrants would have to work weekly (usually around 60) compared to the pay they were receiving was pathetic. However, the Jewish immigrants did not mind so much because they were able to converse with others in their own language and also were able to observe the Sabbath, which they would not have been able to do in another vocation. Some immigrants even set up shop in their small apartments and had their children doing the work in order to make more money.
ReplyDeleteHere are a couple pictures of the shops.
http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4048/PreviewComp/SuperStock_4048-4396.jpg
http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4048/PreviewComp/SuperStock_4048-4347.jpg
De'Anne St. Yves
In the opening scene the reader is briefly exposed to the ever so glamorous lifestyle of a sweatshop worker. However, there is something much deeper occurring on the sweat of the workers’ brows than just another horrible day at a sweatshop, and that is the loss of heritage. One’s background and heritage plays a significant part in who one grows up to become. Heritage not only helps define oneself, but also gives one ties to a community for life. However, in this opening scene the reader can observe a small, yet desperate attempt from a character to distance himself from his heritage and form a new identity. For instance, the reader can see “rabbinical looking man” reading an “English newspaper.” By having a religious looking man chose an English newspaper over a Yiddish, Hebrew, or even Russian newspaper allows the reader to observe how desperately this character is trying to assimilate into American culture and distance himself from his heritage. The rabbinical looking man is so determined to blend in with the American culture that he even has a “cumbrous dictionary” on his knees so he can just slightly comprehend the newspaper. It is through this small act of struggling to read a newspaper in a language that is more “accepted” that the reader can observe this character’s attempt to distance himself from his heritage and create a new identity. - Megan B.
ReplyDeleteInteresting points: BT on Sandow and DS on the context.
ReplyDeleteMB:
Interesting about the distancing from heritage through reading. However, upon further reading, do we get a better appreciation of this character--Bernstein, who Jake deeply respects.
In short, what kind of American does he want to be? Like Jake?
After reading Yekl, I came to the conclusion that the story was about a man torn between what he has in life and what he wants. I similar situation that many are faced with, Jake has to decide what he wants in his life. He leaves his family in Russia, and moves to America to make more money, and while doing this, ends up realizing he doesn't want the life he once had and wants a new life, a new beginning. He abandons his family and his heritage to start anew, but ultimately realizes that what he thought was exciting and new, isn't everything it's cracked up to be. He misses the life he once had, and wishes he could change the decisions he's made. This resonated with me because I believe most young people go through situations that they wish they could change, or wish they could've done differently.
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