The First Seven Years: Parental Consent Often, parents want their children’s lives to be better; this is the human nature of most parents. Feld, for instance, in the “The First Seven Years” by Bernard Malamud, worries much about trying to get his daughter, Miriam, supported & taken care of. Not only does he care so deeply for Miriam, but also the story speaks so clearly of his effort to guide Sobel out of his misery, that Sobel may return, as the much needed employee for Feld. Earnestly trying to support Miriam through his shoe repair store, Feld becomes selfish & narrow-minded,