Summary

The story begins with Rose Lieber speaking to her niece, Lillie. Rose comments on her own stocky stature and bold nature, which caused her to get fired when she was younger. She then begins to tell Lillie the story of her young adulthood, and the story is as follows. Rose searched for a new job and answered a promising ad. She learned that the job was a ticket selling position with the “Russian Art Theater of Second Avenue” (10). The manager of the theater, Mr. Krimberg, remarked on Rose’s weight when he met her, but they came to an agreement and Rose got the job.

Shortly after she began working, she met Volodya Vlashkin, a star of the theater, who told Mr. Krimberg he wanted to meet her. When Rose and Vlashkin met, Vlashkin’s manner of speaking “brought tears” (11) to Rose’s...