America and I Response

Much of the American lifestyle is based off of work. It is very difficult for one to live without money, and the only way people get money is by earning it through their work. An immigrant from Russia shares her story on what it was like coming to America, what she thought was the land of happiness and opportunity, and how she was able to survive. Anzia Yezierska's short story, America and I, takes the reader through the roller coaster ride through America. Back in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds America had a reputation for being the "land of living hope, woven of dreams, aflame with longing and desire" (68). Part of why this was thought was because it was common knowledge that one could easily find work. Life I know it to be today is much different. The unemployment rate has significantly risen ever since America plunged into a recession. Today, many unemployed Americans are stressing about how they are going to be able to feed their family, keep a roof over their heads, and clothes for their bodies or as Anzia Yezierska put it, “Money to buy a new shirt on my back- shoes on my feet” (70). Not having a job is a scary and unstable thought. The necessities such as food and shelter are supported by work, without work there is no way one could earn money to receive these basic necessities. This shows how important jobs and work is to America, it ultimately is what keeps the country running. More specifically, it is the work of the people that keeps America successful. This work is not always easy. Especially back then, our country had immigrants and the unemployed placed in sweat shops and factories which people worked for maniy hours a day and low wages. Yezierska explained how her life simply consisted of work, “while the morning was still dark I walked into a dark basement. And darkness met me when I turned out of the basement” (72). This idea of long hours, hard work, little pay was not exactly what Anzia Yezierska had in mind as the perfect America. What she longed for was, “My America, where I would work for love and not for a living” (72). If only America was based off of that people all over the world would be happier with their lives. This notion of happiness was discovered when Yezierska realized, “Happiness is only by working at what you love” (74). Personally I was fascinated by how true this statement she shared was. After reading this story I question how many American's are currently happy with their lives and work? My answer, not very many. Unfortunately the pressure of finding a well paying job and need for efficiency often times overtakes the idea of doing work in which people love to do. It was soon understood in the story that the welfare men is actually the real America.


Yezierska, Anzia. “America and I.” Jewish Stories: Ilan Stavans. New York: Oxford, 1998. 69-77. Print