She was not the first voice to speak about the struggles of the Jewish immigrant. Writers such as Abraham Cahan and Israel Zangwill had already found success with stories that depict "real" life on the East Side of New York City. The positive reception of Yezierska's work was based on another historical factor as well. With the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, women had gained the right to vote. In its attention to the experiences of the immigrant woman, Yezierska's work also addresses the specific concerns of women. The stereotype of the New Woman was extremely popular, and--while there is no evidence that Yezierska knew any of the "New Women" who dominated the New York scene in the 1920s--she certainly subscribed to similar individualistic, self-reliant ideals.
Much like the female characters she created, who exhibit an Emersonian sense of self-reliance, Yezierska persisted in her efforts to bring the Jewish immigrant experience to other Americans. The themes of her stories--immigrant anguish, poverty, and the cultural negotiation between the Old World and the New--are derived from her own experiences as an immigrant in America.
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Julie Prebel, University of Washington|with the assistance of Heidi L. M. Jacobs Editorial Assistant, University of |Nebraska, Lincolnand Jennifer Putzi Editorial Assistant, University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Anzia Yezierska from
Dictionary of Literary Biography. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.
