The First Seven Years” tells the tale of a humble cobbler, Feld, and his daughter Miriam. Feld admires a student, Max, because the younger man is pursuing an education, something Feld always wanted for his daughter. Eventually, he asks Max to go on a date with his daughter, much to the chagrin of his assistant, Sobel. Sobel has been diligently working for Feld for the past five years, biding his time to ask Miriam out. Fortunately, the date between Miriam and Max doesn’t work out, and Feld discovers Sobel’s secret desires. At the conclusion of the story, Feld agrees that Sobel can go out with Miriam if he works for another two years in the cobbler’s shop. The broad theme of the story relates to individuality and social status.