STUDY QUESTIONS

"Impressions of a Journey through the Tomaszow Region" in Ruth R. Wisse, ed., The I. L. Peretz Reader (New York, 1990): 20-34

1) Using Tishevitz as an example, in what ways did a shtetl differ from a large ghetto?

2) Why was the narrator of the story gathering socioeconomic "statistics" in Tishevitz?

3) What made some residents initially suspicious of him? Why did some subsequently become near hostile? How would you describe his general reception?

4) What did the narrator mean when he said he "envied" his host for having to worry about nothing more than "making a living"?

5) In the tale of the fate of house #42, how was the dispute between neighbors mediated?

6) How did the laws and regulations of the surrounding state impose themselves on the running of the shtetl despite an otherwise impressive degree of self-governance?

7) What exactly was the role of the maskil?

8) What can you deduce about the status of women in the shtetl during this period?

9) How might you describe the nature of group solidarity, competition, and conflict as illustrated by the narrator's experience in Tishevitz?