Preview of Bread Summary:

Though she vows never to marry, then never to marry again, Jeannette remains, throughout Bread, dedicated to her family.

She supports her mother in her old age and gives as much support to Alice as she can afford. Though she never has children of her own, Jeannette adores her nieces and nephews. The strength of these relationships point to Norris's thematic concern with familial bonds. The great irony of Bread lies in the fact that Jeannette takes up work for the good of her family and is prevented from having her own family by that very work. Entering business, then, becomes a double-edged sword.

Another theme at work in Bread involves the force that drives Jeannette into the world of work. The Sturgis family is certainly poor at the novel's opening, but nobody is actually about to starve to death. The straw that breaks Jeannette's back is actually...