The First Seven Years

The First Seven Years by Bernard Malamud shows the thoughts and feelings of immigrants in the United States. This is the story of a Polish immigrant in America living as a shoemaker trying to live out the American Dream. He wants to be able to provide for a good life for his family and make sure that his daughter grows up with all the opportunities and advantages she can get. In my research I found out that many immigrants did this. They would come to this country and even if they were unable to make a great life for themselves they made sure their children were able to grow up and be very successful. The shoemaker in this story tries to push his nineteen year old daughter to continue her education and go to college. She is a bright girl who loves to read and learn. The shoemaker feels that the best thing for her to do is to further her education so that she can grow up educated and find a good job for herself and be happy and successful. The daughter is hesitant and wants to get a job instead of go to college. When the shoemaker learns his efforts to push education for his daughter are not working he tries finding her an educated man to settle down with. After setting up a college boy with his daughter, the shoemaker learns that his daughter has no interest in this boy and felt he is too materialistic. After speaking with his assistant, another polish immigrant, at the shop, the shoemaker learns that his assistant has been in love with the young daughter for all five years that he has worked at the shop. After a small argument about marriage to his nineteen year old daughter, the shoemaker tells his assistant that he must wait two more years for his daughter to turn 21 before asking her hand in marriage. Though this may not be the American dream he sees for his daughter, he knows that it will make her happy and will give her a fulfilling life so he allows this to happen.