Feld is a shoemaker who came to America from Poland. He has a helper named Sobel. Feld wishes that his daughter, Miriam, would go to college. Miriam enjoys reading books that Sobel lends her, but she would rather work than go to school. Feld admires a college student named Max because he has worked hard to get an education.
In this summary of a passage from "The First Seven Years" by Bernard Malamud, what is the main plot element?