The Hired Girl Quotes

Alexandria Harris

Ms. Gourd

Pre-AP 10th ELA

March 30, 2018

The New Life Imagine living with a different culture family. This is the case in the Hired girl. During 1911, an American teenager ran away from her home at Steeple Farm in search of a better life in Baltimore. A Jewish family hires her as a maid and she becomes exposed to Jewish culture, customs, traditions, and speech. The exposure of Judaism to the character changed her morals and views on life to be refined. The Hired Girl is about a American girl who later moves in with a Jewish practicing family. Her real name is Joan, yet changes it to Janet. Throughout the novel, Jewish customs, traditions, and speech is shown to represent accurate elements of the culture. “But I was very

“And Malka was saying that the kashrut- which is what they call the food laws- had been broken and that I’d ruined a dish called Meiseen, from Germany.”(Schlitz 100). Meissen is a traditional dish that Jewish families use and hold dearly. “Afterward, I wanted to see if there were any nightgowns I could afford, because I only have the one, and Malka says it’s a shmatte.”(Schlitz 161). Shmatte is another Jewish word shown in the novel, which means a rag. “Thanks to Mr. Rosenbach, I have attended Shabbos! It was a mitzvah-that means a good deed- for him to invite me.”(Schlitz 167). Mitzvah is another foreign word to Janet, but figures out it means a good deed. The Jewish speech shown in the novel clarifies that Janet is exposed to a new language and culture. The speech affected the culture represented drastically, but so did the customs and traditions. “I’ve learned that Jewish people need more dishes than ordinary people. Mrs. Rosenbach has two beautiful sets that she uses only on Passover, which is what the Jews celebrate a week before they celebrate Easter.”(Schlitz 97). Janet discoveries that Jews use specific dishes on special occasions, such as the Sabbath and the Passover, which is like Easter for

“You were trying to convert my grandson to Christianity.”(Schlitz 304). “I won’t tolerate that.”(Schlitz 304). Even though Mrs. Rosenbach’s grandson asked about Janet’s fatih and she simply explained it to him, she was still threatened to be fired. The culture of Judaism held her back from speaking about her Christianity because it was disrespectful to go against their customs and beliefs of raising their child in Jewish ways. “I will remember that I’m a hired girl, and work harder at my job, and if I want something to happen, I will only pray about it and not do anything.”(Schlitz 232). Janet has a scare of unemployment due to her ignorance of meddling around in someone’s room. She prioritizes and tells herself that she will pray to the Blessed Mother if she wants something to happen. The novel would not be the same if it were a different culture because it would use different words, contrary traditions and customs, opposing beliefs, and differentiated typical main course meals to represent the minority culture. “He said, ‘Let no one be punished on my account.”(Schlitz 232). “She told me that what Mr. Solomon said is part of a famous Jewish player.”(Schlitz 232). If it were a different culture, Mr. Solman would have used a famous non-Jewish quote to state in order for Janet to understand she is given another