ABSTRACT

Anzia Yezierska is a Jewish American writer who is best known for her autobiographical documentation of the experience of cultural assimilation and the cost of acculturation among the Jewish immigrants. Literary critics interested in Yezierska tend to focus on her novels such as Salome of the Tenemets, Break Givers, All Could Never Be, with little attention has been given to her collection of short stories Children of Loneliness. While studying Yezierska, few scholars have made a thorough analysis about the relationship between cultural assimilation and identity crisis represented in Yezierska’s work. For this reason, this thesis will make a careful study of Yezierska’s short story “Children of Loneliness”, with an aim to examine the cultural and familial alienation that the children of immigrants endure. 

This thesis consists of five parts. Chapter one is an introduction to Anzia Yezierska’s life and writing, including a brief review of past studies done on “Children of Loneliness”. Chapter Two will examine the kind of cultural conflicts and cultural assimilation experienced by the first and second generation of Jewish immigrant in “Children of Loneliness”. Chapter Three will examine the crisis of identity that the heroine of this short story has suffered. Finally, the thesis intends to suggest that the Jewish immigrants should not only inherit Jewish culture but also accept the reasonable composition in the mainstream culture objectively, if they aspire for better life.

Key words: Children of Loneliness; Cultural Assimilation; Identity Crisis

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Anzia Yezierska’s Life and Literary Achievements-1

1.2 Literature Review-2

1.3 Structure of the Thesis-4

Chapter Two  CULTRAL ASSIMILAITON-6

2.1 American Dream-6

2.2 Conflicts with Parents-7

Chapter Three IDENTITY CRISIS-10

3.1 Loneliness-10

3.2 Failure of Love Affair-11

Chapter Four CONCLUSION-13

WORKS CITED-15