1
The Washwoman

• Isaac B. Singer
• Page 650

2
Isaac B. Singer (1904-1991)

• Born in Poland
• Jewish (wrote in Yiddishlanguage 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
Before You Read

• 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
Vocabulary

• 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 1900s)
• rancor deep hatred or bitter hate
• obstinacy stubbornness

5
Some things to look for

• 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 Singers feeling that the
  Washwoman was an extraordinary person and
  deserves to be rewarded for all of her hard work
  and dedication?

6
Notes

• 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
Notes (cont)

• 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 Singers 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).