Comparing How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents And Bread Givers

America is a country of immigrants. It may seem that some people may not realize that these days, but America was and still is a melting pot of cultures from all around the world. People have been coming to the US since colonial times to escape religious persecution and are still coming to this day for many different reasons. There may be many differences and similarities between immigrants from a long time ago to today, but one thing is for sure; they have all had to get used to the social environment in the US. Even if you came and you already had family, you still had to get used to the different customs and norms. Getting used to American norms and culture and accepting it; while remaining true to your own culture is a theme that is driven throughout How the Garcia Girls lost their Accents and Bread Givers. The time periods during which these novels were written plays a major role in how the ideas within them are expressed. Bread Givers was a 1925 novel set in the 1920’s while, How the Garcia Girls lost their Accents is a 1991 novel. There is more than 65 years between both of these novels and it is apparent how in such a short time, relative to everything else, public views and social norms have changed.

In Bread Givers, The Smolinsky family starts out very poorly. They are on the verge of starvation and losing their little apartment. Neither Mashah, Fania or Bessie can acquire jobs. Mr. Smolinsky, the head of the household, does not even have a job. He studies his Torah, day and night and lives by it. In How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, everyone starts out in a very prosperous and well off environment. Yolanda, Sofia, Sandra and Carla have their lives set for them with all of their possessions at hand. They have everything made for them and do not have to worry about