It’s a corollary to the Horatio Alger myth: Americans not only believe rags-to-riches ascendance is possible, they believe they can set aside their origins and remake themselves into whomever and whatever they desire. Nancy Kricorian’s second novel, Dreams of Bread and Fire, examines this theme through the eyes of Ani Silver, a 22-year-old, upwardly-mobile student of literary theory, film criticism… return to article
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Reader Comments (4)Page 1 of 1 pagesWhy would Ani wish to morph into a monied WASP? Is she unaware of the power and weath that Jews have in the US?
Perhaps if Nancy Kricorian wanted to do a coming of age novel and demonstrate the struggles of an immigrant to suceed in the US she should have used a person whose family came here from Mexico.
Many of the people who immigrate to the US from other countries are the people of wealth and education and I just don’t buy Ani’s story. Its too much like some kind of PR.
It’s a little hard to find sympathy for the history of suffering of her people at the same time the whole world watches Israel on the world stage.
In reality Ani would seek to impose her ethnic ways on our culture rather than trying to change herself in order to fit in.
When most people in the US struggle to realize the American dream its a little difficult to sympathize with the angst of people like Ani.
I think I’ll read Al Franken instead.
Posted by Ginger Snap on Sep 22, 2003 at 1:29 AM I’m surprised that Ani wouldn’t be sharp enough to expliot her ethnic roots. Playing the Old Money Wasp Sophistocate requiers a good deal of money and the skills to fake social conections you don’t have. If Ani was all that clever she’d have played her Jewish/Armenian roots for all their worth and gotten posh invites and lush social opportunities by playing the exotic outsider. It worked for Disreali, it could work for Ani.
Posted by Thomas Devine on Sep 28, 2003 at 1:19 PM This book fulfills literary fictions current thread of cartoonish fiction. A fiction that basis its roots on a polymorphous ethnic/racial identity. Make the character half this and that and the character and all the drawings of him or her there after sound like a fleshed out cartoon. Please…
Posted by Sam on Oct 30, 2003 at 12:38 PM “Is she unaware of the power and weath that Jews have in the US?”
Compared to the monied WASPs, I am unaware too. Please elucidate will you Adolf?
Posted by Nus on Oct 30, 2003 at 4:50 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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