The Washwoman Analysis

Analysis of “The Washwoman” By Isaac Bashevis Singer

Life can be very unfair to some people and at the same time excellent to some people. In the case of the old Gentile woman in The Washwoman, life seems to be unfair to her. Therefore, the old Gentile woman chooses to carry her cross alone. The short story “The Washwoman” demonstrates how unfair life can be to kindhearted, honest and persevering people.

The Washwoman is about an old, wrinkled and small Gentile washwoman who was already past seventy and surprisingly still in active service as a washwoman. It’s surprising because “Most Jewish women of her age were sickly, weak, broken in body.” (Singer, n.d., n.p.). “All the old women in our street had bent backs and leaned on sticks

The old woman had no faucet where she lived but had to bring in the water from a pump. For the linens to come out so clean, they had to be scrubbed thoroughly in a washtub, rinsed with washing soda, soaked, boiled in an enormous pot, starched, then ironed. Every piece was handled ten times or more. And the drying! It could not be done outside because thieves would steal the laundry. The wrung-out wash had to be carried up to the attic and hung on clotheslines. In the winter it would become as brittle as glass and almost break when touched. And there was always a to-do with other housewives and washwomen who wanted the attic clothesline for their own use. Only God knows all the old woman had to endure each time she did a wash!” (Singer, n.d., n.p.). She still persevered through the bad weather that “The streets were in the grip of a bitter cold. No matter how much we heated our stove, the windows were covered with frostwork and decorated with icicles. The newspapers reported that people were dying of the cold. Coal became dear. The winter had become so severe that parents stopped sending children to cheder, and even the Polish schools were closed.” (Singer, n.d., n.p.). Life was unfair to her with how kindhearted she was that when her son didn’t invite her for his wedding “…she went to the church and waited at the steps to see her son lead the “young lady” to the altar.” (Singer, n.d., n.p.). This is because “Her son was ashamed of his mother, the washwoman, and never came to see her. Nor did he ever give her a groschen. The old woman told this without rancor.” (Singer, n.d.,