Literary Analysis of the Experiences of Sara Smolensky
Literary Analysis of the Experiences of Sara Smolensky
I do believe that Sara Smolensky’s experience does support the stereotype of upward mobility in industrial America. In the beginning of the story the author explains how the family lives as new immigrants in America. The living conditions were awful. They lived in tenement houses with utilities being scarce. This relates to what we discussed in class when we went over the topic of the modern city being built. The majority of immigrants that migrated to America lived in tenement houses under bad conditions. There was no ventilation, little light, overcrowded, and no irrigation.
Sara’s status in the beginning of the story was that of an ordinary immigrant. Her family was poor, they had to live from day to day wages, she had no fancy clothes, no friends, and was basically just there to try and better her economic and social status. The jobs that she and her sisters held were that of an ordinary immigrant. An example of the jobs were working at as shop girls in department stores, in the paper box factory, and also at laundry place. These are all examples of the jobs that immigrants held when they migrated to America.
Although Sara knew that these jobs held no kind of economic security for her in the future, she had to work because it helped to get her family by. She knew that because of her status as an immigrant, she was not going to get any better jobs unless she pursued an education. She also experienced stereotype when she went to college. Sara felt alone and out of place. She also mentioned that the native born students had that settled look which they belonged in the world that they were born in.
At the end of the story, Sara’s status changed completely. She no longer had to work those long hours in the low paying jobs that she held before. Sara went to school and achieved what she has always dreamed of. This was to achieve independence itself by being able to provide for herself, economic independence, and receive a higher education.
Sara also obtained an apartment, and she also was able to but herself the finer things in life. An example of this was when she went to the store and bought herself a suit, hat, shoes, gloves, handkerchiefs, stalkings, and...