1. Isaac B. Singer Page 650

2.  Born in Poland  Jewish (wrote in Yiddish—language of some Eastern European Jews and their descendants)  Short stories, novels, and essays that capture the lessons of everyday life  Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978

3.  The media often show the elderly in unrealistic or unflattering ways.  List 3 examples of older characters in movies or on TV shows, or commercials:  What are some positive contributions that the elderly make to our society?

4.  Gentiles: any persons not Jewish; in this case, specifically Christians  groschen: Austrian cent or penny (this section of Poland ruled by Austria in the early 1900’s)  rancor: deep hatred or bitter hate  obstinacy: stubbornness

5.  What type of essay is “The Washwoman?”  What is it about the Washwoman that Isaac Singer admired most?  What does the Washwoman stand for (what do her hands represent)?  How do we know that Singer and his mother are concerned about the Washwoman?  What passage conveys Singer’s feeling that the Washwoman was an extraordinary person and deserves to be rewarded for all of her hard work and dedication?

6.  What type of essay is “The Washwoman?” ◦ narrative essay  What is it about the Washwoman that Isaac Singer admired most? ◦ her strength and dedication to her work  What does the Washwoman stand for (what do her hands represent)? ◦ Author believes that it is human nature to strive to overcome obstacles– her hands represent this “stubbornness” (653)

7.  How do we know that Singer and his mother are concerned about the Washwoman?  “We mourned, both for the laundry and for the old, toil-worn washwoman who had grown close to us through the years she served us so faithfully” (654).  What passage conveys Singer’s feeling that the Washwoman was an extraordinary person and deserves to be rewarded for all of her hard work and dedication?  “I cannot imagine paradise without this Gentile washwoman. I cannot even conceive of a world where there is no recompense for such effort” (655).