English 1101
Ho Yan, Lam
September 9, 2015

America and I

1. Yezierska’s initial impression of America was that it’s a “land of living hope, woven dreams, aflame with longing and desire,” (54). Russia on the other hand, was a place of “airless oppression” behind prison bars and deathless songs, (54). She believed America was a place that would turn Russia’s prison bars into beautiful violin strings. One was a place of new dreams and hope while the other place was a trapped world.
2. Upon arriving America she aspires to be free from work long hour works just to fulfill her hunger. She wants to be a creator of something, someone who can give back to society, and be treated like an actual human being. But before getting lost in her dreams, she must first “put her feet down on earth” and think about the reality of having food and shelter (55).
3. No the “Americanized family” does not treat her fairly because when she asked about her wages, she didn’t get any. Instead she was responded with “a sudden coldness” and the “four eyes turned into hard stone” as they look her up and down (56-57). They said she was always lucky enough to have her own bed to sleep in and three meals a day that was considered her pay. The Americanized family never once asked her whether she wants to work from early to late night. She dedicated her whole mental and physical energy to that family but she never got anything in return; she was not treated fairly.
4. The best part about working in Delancey Street was that she had the evening and the whole night to herself. Although that place barely paid enough for meals and a mattress, she was able to have some time alone on the rood with the silent night. She ended up losing her job because the old woman at the sweatshop began to demand too much. Her working hours were getting longer and she let her unhappiness known to the owner. She threw a fit and got fired.
5. She wants to do work that’s associated with her head, her feelings. She thinks contributing only her hands work is not enough because it does not fill up the emptiness she feels in her heart. She simply wants to be happy with the work she does but she cannot pinpoint on how she can achieve that. She wants to be treated as a human being rather than a working machine. The thing that’s stopping her is that she doesn’t know what steps to take to reach her goal. Whoever she ask will give her a cold response because all she mentions about is money in front of them. They get put off by the idea that she’s not contributing to the society with her skills but all she wants in return is more money.
6. No I don’t agree with the author’s argument that immigrants should receive free room and board because really, room and board is not free anywhere around the world. Even back in their mother country, they had to pay for room. It’s not America’s responsibility to provide them with room and board if they did not save up enough upon coming to America. Although life is indeed hard for new immigrants, they should’ve prepared their mind that nothing will ever go as smoothly as they imagined. Americans do not get free room and board themselves, so it’s not realistic and fair for immigrants to get those advantages and benefits.
7. The author learned from the pilgrims that “through danger, famine, pestilence” they still stayed focus to their goal and pressed on. They did not question or beg anybody for help but instead, they stay persistent and true to themselves. She realized that when she was cheated of her wages by the woman at the sweatshop, she got angry and lost her heart. She was not strong hearted and persistent enough to fight all the people then went against her. This idea allowed her to realize that she does not have to ask or beg anyone for help and success; she must rely on her own skills and determination to figure things out.
8. The author utilizes the word “hungry” to show how she was desperate for something other than real food. She wanted money, she wanted acceptance into the American culture, so she begged like a hungry beggar and like a hungry cat following their boss’s footsteps just for a little something. However, that hunger was not associated with her “appetite” for actual food. The author wanted to show her reader’s that she was desperate for both actual food and something else in the American society. The appetite could be fulfilled by actual food but her hunger and longing for complete acceptance cannot be achieved. Even though she has three meals a day and a bed to sleep in that hunger in her heart would not go away. She sees other immigrants with the same hunger in their heart but America is not willing to accept them for who they are because they feel immigrants cannot offer them anything useful. Therefore immigrants must suppress their true desire to adjust into the American culture and become one with everyone else that has a hunger in their heart hidden away.