Tradition

I think tradition mentioned in Fiddler on the Roof was a very good theme for the play. One tradition in particular I found interesting was the duty of each family member. The Papa was the head of the household and worked to provide for his family. The Mama had to take care of the house and the children so that the Papa could reflect on his holy books. Then the sons attended school, learned a trade, and had a wife picked for them. Meanwhile, the daughters did not go to school, but were instead taught household duties by their mothers and then expected to marry whomever the Papa wanted them to. There was a designated position in the household for each different type of family member, and if a family member stepped outside of that position, such as a daughter marrying who she chose, it was considered breaking tradition. Tevye’s daughters step outside of their tradition by marrying who they want, and while this was frowned upon by their society, I think they had the right to love who they wanted.