Essays on A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories

A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories is a collection of four short graphic novels by American cartoonist Will Eisner, published in 1978. The stories are set in Eisner’s old neighborhood in the Bronx, New York City, in the early twentieth century.The first story, A Contract With God”, is about a Jewish man named Frimme Hersh who makes a deal with God that he will be a good person if God will make him rich. Hersh eventually becomes a successful businessman, but when his daughter dies, he blames God and breaks his contract.The second story, “The Street Singer”, is about a young woman named Sarah who dreams of becoming a singer, but her father does not approve. When Sarah runs away from home, she meets a man who helps her pursue her dream.The third story, “The Super”, is about a man named Sammy who is the superintendent of an apartment building. Sammy is constantly trying to make the tenants happy, but he is taken advantage of and never appreciated.The fourth story, “The Tenement”, is about the residents of a dilapidated apartment building who are constantly fighting with each other. However, when one of the tenants dies, the others realize that they are all in the same situation and they must help each other.Eisner’s stories are about the human condition and the struggles that people face in their everyday lives. The stories are poignant and bittersweet, and they offer hope and compassion in the midst of hardship.”