s she struggles to hold together the wants of society and her (families) authenticity in these days of deep troubles. The head of the family, Reb Smolinsky is an immovably Orthodox Jewish rabbi, who lives by the Holy Torah, and expects his family to do the same. His reign over the family reinforces Old World, traditional values and beliefs. Reb holds to the Torah belief that "if they [women] let the man study the Torah in peace, the, maybe, they could push themselves in to heaven with the men, to wait on them there" (Yezierska, 10). Women were to bear the burden of the household as "servants of men" (Yezierska, 9) and let the rabbi to his studies and prayers. He makes it a disgrace and is outraged at times when his daughters try to assimilate into the American culture. He will not allow any part of this New World to invade into his territory. In the case of the Kochinsky family, assimilation is viewed in a much different light. As patriarchal Sam encourages the American businessman in his son, Jules, he does so by deterring Jules from the wallpaper-hanging business in saying, "manual labor has no dignity". As soon as Sam has spoken, so quickly the traditional family business has lived its last generation. Jules, not out for the hard-earned dollar, joins his cousin in living out the American dream, opening their own business and becoming more and more successful with each expansion.As the assimilating of both Sara and the Kochinskys takes place, a similar drive is shared-the want for more. In America, to be satisfied is to settle. When comparing the two accounts, a commonality is noted in the pursuit to (constantly) better oneself or perhaps excel to a favorable, personal position. Just as it is not enough for the business duo, Jules and his cousin, to run a small business, they must then own a warehouse. Sara's unsettling demeanor is also recognized as her mothers points out that "when she wants a thing, there is no rest, ...
