As I mentioned in last week's blog, I thought the whole idea of the "Jew Store" was a really interesting concept that I wanted to continue learning about. Ironically, the first two chapters in the Provincial resurfaced my interest while simultaneously explaining what it's like to grow up in the family store. I found it rather interesting to assess the demand for such a small store selling cheap products but with a large competitive market. However, the author points out that "if anything happened, it would be the classy stores that would go out of business because people would come to where it was cheapest" (27). I thought it was particularly noteworthy to point out the specific word choice that the author uses to describe his competitors. The term "classy" is used not only to describe stores around them but also the types of people the store caters to and attracts. Here, we see an immediate generalization and separation between minority and religious groups against the whites. This distinction and clear racial segregation has been a recurring theme throughout the different readings we have been assigned over the course of the semester. Additionally, the author points out how the groups of people that their family store caters to is particularly for "the Negro trade." (27). This store was one of the first stores to allow black people to have access to their bathrooms and facilities. The relationship between the black people during this time period and the Jewish people holds a huge element of significance and value. The Jewish people in the south, particularly store owners, have gone out of their way to push for the freedom and liberation of the African Americans living in these particular cities. Despite all the animosity and hardships that these poor storeowners have undergone, they continue fighting for the minority groups that surround these towns in hopes to achieve southern liberalism.
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Carolyn LeopoldGreetings readers! Welcome to my blog page, I hope you enjoy what I have to say! ArchivesCategories |