Anzia Yezierska's Bread Givers and Abraham Cahan's The Rise of David Levinsky share many similarities: they both feature young Jewish protagonists who immigrate to America in search of the better life they believe America can provide. Though their novels have similar trajectories, each author answers the still relevant question of how immigrants might successfully assimilate into American culture in contrasting lights. Cahan's protagonist, in a superficial sense, achieves the \"American dream,\" while Yezierska's Sara achieves a more modest success. However, Sara ultimately navigates the trials of cultural assimilation and identity formation more successfully. Levinsky gains monetary wealth by adapting to American values of independence and class mobility, but Sara achieves the much more valuable goal of a confident identity by tempering her embrace of these traditional American values and not rejecting her cultural origins.
","abstract_html":"<p>Anzia Yezierska's <em>Bread Givers</em> and Abraham Cahan's <em>The Rise of David Levinsky</em> share many similarities: they both feature young Jewish protagonists who immigrate to America in search of the better life they believe America can provide. Though their novels have similar trajectories, each author answers the still relevant question of how immigrants might successfully assimilate into American culture in contrasting lights. Cahan's protagonist, in a superficial sense, achieves the "American dream," while Yezierska's Sara achieves a more modest success. However, Sara ultimately navigates the trials of cultural assimilation and identity formation more successfully. Levinsky gains monetary wealth by adapting to American values of independence and class mobility, but Sara achieves the much more valuable goal of a confident identity by tempering her embrace of these traditional American values and not rejecting her cultural origins.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Keeling, Kari Lynn"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-05-05T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-05-05T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:31Z","subjects":["Americanization","immigration literature","Jewish immigration","identity","duality","assimilation","American Literature","American Studies","Arts and Humanities"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1440","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Keeling, Kari Lynn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012-05-05T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Americanization","immigration literature","Jewish immigration","identity","duality","assimilation","American Literature","American Studies","Arts and Humanities"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2633/viewcontent/KeelingK042312f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1440"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Anzia Yezierska's Bread Givers and Abraham Cahan's The Rise of David Levinsky share many similarities: they both feature young Jewish protagonists who immigrate to America in search of the better life they believe America can provide. Though their novels have similar trajectories, each author answers the still relevant question of how immigrants might successfully assimilate into American culture in contrasting lights. Cahan's protagonist, in a superficial sense, achieves the \"American dream,\" while Yezierska's Sara achieves a more modest success. However, Sara ultimately navigates the trials of cultural assimilation and identity formation more successfully. Levinsky gains monetary wealth by adapting to American values of independence and class mobility, but Sara achieves the much more valuable goal of a confident identity by tempering her embrace of these traditional American values and not rejecting her cultural origins.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["“To Make Myself for a Person”: The Bildungsroman in Modern Jewish-American Literature"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Keeling, Kari Lynn"],"dc:date.issued":["2012-05-05T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Anzia Yezierska's Bread Givers and Abraham Cahan's The Rise of David Levinsky share many similarities: they both feature young Jewish protagonists who immigrate to America in search of the better life they believe America can provide. Though their novels have similar trajectories, each author answers the still relevant question of how immigrants might successfully assimilate into American culture in contrasting lights. Cahan's protagonist, in a superficial sense, achieves the \"American dream,\" while Yezierska's Sara achieves a more modest success. However, Sara ultimately navigates the trials of cultural assimilation and identity formation more successfully. Levinsky gains monetary wealth by adapting to American values of independence and class mobility, but Sara achieves the much more valuable goal of a confident identity by tempering her embrace of these traditional American values and not rejecting her cultural origins.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2633/viewcontent/KeelingK042312f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1440"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Americanization","immigration literature","Jewish immigration","identity","duality","assimilation","American Literature","American Studies","Arts and Humanities"],"dc:title":["“To Make Myself for a Person”: The Bildungsroman in Modern Jewish-American Literature"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:31Z"}