"The Lost Beautifulness"

I would like to talk about "The Lost Beautifulness", written by Anzia Yezierska.  This is a beautiful story that I thoroughly enjoyed.  The way the author sets the story and presents it is so thought provoking.

It is a story of a woman named Hanneh Hayyeh, a jewish immigrant living in a New York City tenement.  She and her husband are awaiting the arrival of their son Aby, from France after two tours with the Army.  Hanneh is very proud of the hard work she has done to make her son proud.   She wants the American Dream to come through in her kitchen, or through her kitchen walls.  She scrimped and saved mere pennies for months to come up with enough to buy some paint so she can have the appearance of  a nice home. 

She cleans and does laundry for Mrs. Preston, a wealthy woman, yet someone that Hanneh considers to be a friend.  Hanneh is proud of the fact that Mrs. Preston calls her a laundry artist.  They seem to have a close relationship in the beginning of the story and they share many thoughts and dreams.

Of these dreams, Hanneh desperately wants to be seen as someone who gets what she wants.  She paints her walls and can't wait for all her neighbors to see.  It is very important for everyone to see her hard work.  She even wants the landlord to see how hard she worked to make her house look nice for her son.  Hanneh is devastated when the landlord uses her hard work and determination against her and raises her rent.  He sees that he would be able to charge someone else a higher rent because it is much nicer that most the other tenements so he threatens her and raises her rent. 

I feel as if Hanneh felt backed into a corner.  Where is the American Dream that she so desperately wants for herself and her son?  Where is this life that she deserves?  Why do some people have it and she does not?  I believe this is the breaking point for her and out of desperation comes anger and contempt. 

She even finds that her relationship with Mrs. Preston has soured because she went to her as a friend and was humiliated when Mrs. Preston offered to help her by paying the landlord. 

I hate the fact that Aby has to find her like this.  I believe this will hurt her more than anything.  But I also believe that in him finding her like this, comes great heroism and devotion.  The story that we don't see is that even though the monetary part of the American Dream may be beyond their reach for now, they have attained  much more than financial gains.  They have each others love and I believe that will sustain them for now.