Baylor College Medical School

Call It Sleep by Henry Roth- Can you please describe the trip to America that Mrs. Schearl took.

CALL IT SLEEP HENRY ROTH

faculty.history.umd.edu/BCooperman/NewCity/henryroth.pdf

Starts on page 7 through 14.

Questions:

Can you please describe the trip to America that Mrs. Schearl took.

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Last updated by jill d #170087
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The woman is Jewish, her daughter born in Hamburg. Thus, she is a German Jew. Her crossing would have been rough, as she had to travel with her child in steerage, the area in the ship intended for shipping cargo and was located between decks. The area would have been crowded and cramped, very uncomfortable for traveling such a long way. The ceilings in the steerage area were only 6-8 feet high, with rows of wooden plank bunks. Mattresses were made from straw.... lice and fleas were a huge problem.

The trip is not described in this passage. I constructed the above information based on the fact that we do know she and the child traveled in steerage. I believe your assignment was to make inferences based upon the text.

Source(s)

faculty.history.umd.edu/BCooperman/NewCity/henryroth.pdf