In my paper I would like to compare two books which are written by women immigrants and which belong to the same historical period. These are “The Promised Land” by Mary Antin and “Out of the Shadow” by Rose Cohen. The authors, sharing the common cultural space, also share similar experiences and face similar problems. Although they have completely different destinies and live in different places, they might have more in common than it could seem at a first glance.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Witnessing history - Jewish immigrant women's autobiography
- The Promised Land by Mary Antin and “Out of the Shadow\" by Rose Cohen
- Immigration and adjustment from the Old World to the New
- Assimilation and changes in their family life
- Learning the new language
- The world of Gentiles and the Jewish tradition
- Education and opportunities
- The Pale of Settlement
- The Lower East Side of Manhattan
- Anti-Semitism and the blood libel
- The level of religious observance in immigrant households
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper compares the autobiographies of two Jewish immigrant women, Mary Antin and Rose Cohen, who immigrated to America from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author analyzes the similarities and differences in their experiences of immigration, assimilation, and their relationship to Jewish tradition.
- Immigration and Adjustment
- Assimilation and Identity
- Gender Roles and Expectations
- Education and Opportunity
- Anti-Semitism and the Jewish Experience in America
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by introducing the two authors and their shared experiences as Jewish immigrant women in America. It then discusses the challenges of immigration and adjustment, including the need to learn English, deal with cultural differences, and find a place in American society. The authors faced similar obstacles, such as discrimination and prejudice, but their responses and adaptations were unique. The paper also explores the themes of assimilation and changes in family life. The authors struggled to balance their Jewish heritage with their new American identities, and their families grappled with the changing roles and expectations of women and men in American society. The paper examines the importance of education and opportunity in shaping the immigrant experience, and it highlights the contrasting experiences of Antin and Cohen in this regard. Finally, the paper discusses the challenges of anti-Semitism faced by Jewish immigrants in America. The authors encountered both overt and subtle forms of discrimination, which impacted their lives and their relationships with their families.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper explores the themes of Jewish immigrant autobiography, assimilation, gender roles, education, anti-Semitism, and the Jewish experience in America.
- Quote paper
- Alina Polyak (Author), 2006, Witnessing history - Jewish immigrant women's autobiography, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/55420
