HESTER STREET is about Gitl, a pious Jewish woman, who has come to New York with the expectation of reuniting with husband and getting settled into their new life. She is not prepared, however, for the person that her husband has become or for the ‘American’ he is trying so desperately to be. She finally realizes that he will never change, and she comes to terms with the fact that her husband is long gone. So she decides to build her own life -- a blend of the old country and the new world as is the ideal balance of an immigrant in America.

My design exploration follows the 3 women of the story - Gitl (Jake’s wife), Mamie (the woman he has been having an affair with) and Dora (the prostitute he visits).