In this summary of a passage from "The First Seven Years" by Bernard Malamud, what is the main plot element?

The correct answer for this question is "2) Max and Miriam stop dating, Feld’s new assistant steals from the shop, and Feld has a heart attack"

Bernard Malamud's "The First Seven Years" is the story of Feld the shoemaker and his relationship with two suitors for his daughter. Feld desires a better life for his daughter and aims to find a man more suitable for her. Malamud opens the novel by introducing the main character and his interest in Max, who is dedicated to his educational studies, unlike Miriam, his daughter. Feld arranges for the both of them to go on a date. Meanwhile, Sobel, Feld's assistant, decides to quit his job, leaving Feld to run the business by himself. Sobel is a Polish refugee who is also in love with Miriam. He's upset that for many years Feld has brought suitors to Miriam but has never considered him. The relationship between Max and Miriam doesn't work out, and Feld asks Sobel to come back to work. By the end of "The First Seven Years," Sobel agrees to come back and Feld asks him to wait two more years before considering Miriam for marriage. Malamud ends the novel with Sobel working hard.