AP Prompt

In Lahiri's story, Nobody's Business, what is the purpose of only mentioning the Bengali character Sang's culture once? What literary devices does she use to convey this purpose?

Unaccustomed Earth - 7

This story is a big step back into the Bengali-American clash theme that Lahiri has made so prominent in her stories. But the change is narration to first person (sort of omnicient) was a significant change. This time though, the change is for the better I feel. This different point-of-view shows that Lahiri is able to write in many ways and convey the same sympathy for her characters also. While I don't necessarily prefer this story over the previous one's (but prefer it over Nobody's Business) it shows her great variety in writing ability.

Unaccustomed Earth - 6

I feel that this story doesn't really belong with the rest of these. It's nothing like any of the other stories. The only Bengali culture appearances are all of Sang's suitors and when they mention how she rarely speaks Bengali adn when she does it sounds weird. Most of this story didn't even have to do with the Bengali characters Sang and Farouk - they were more like obstacles or plot points in the story about Paul. With the constant that has ben going along for almost the whole story, I don't understnad this one and I think if it was cut out of the book it wouldn't make that much of a difference. I don't know if Lahiri's stories are going to change all of a sudden in Part 2 but if they're like this I dont what to read them.

Unaccustomed Earth - 5

Sudha seems to be a bit different from the typical characters that have appeared so far. Sudha does not seem resentful of her American-Bengali up bringing. She mentions that she watned her houshold to mirror those of her friends with younger siblings and once her brother was born it was. She's respectful towards her parents - I guess buying her younger brother alchohol is going against them a bit but she never does it to spite them. Even Sudha's rebellious stage when she's in college isn't that bad. Sudha is different fromteh other chacaracters we've seen so far because of her respect and working relaionship with her parents, her not rejecting Bengali culture, and her embracement of the fact that she was brought up as a Bengali-American. She has no time to focus on these things it seems because she's too focused on the younger brother of hers who does seem to embody these qualites of Lahiri's characters thta Sudha doesn not. 

Unaccustomed Earth - 4

This fourth story seems very different from Lahiri's other stories, but it also has many similarities. While it still has a Bengali protagonist who resents their parents and their upbringing, I feel that it mostly focuses on the relationships between Amit and the other characters. Amit is still the typiccal main character who is a bit whiney, grey, and sad. But he's never outrightly rejecting or upset about his Bengali culture or the fact that he was always a little different from everyone else. He is resentful towards his parents, but that's more because they just weren't present verses the other stories where the paretns are always there. He also has the same sort of relationship with his spouse as the other stories have. It's a marriage where the love is still there but children adn life are in the way and there isn't as much passion in their relationship anymore, and that's been pretty consistant through every story. 

Unaccustomed Earth - 3

Jhumpa Lahiri's stories seem to follow a consistant theme of family, and saddness. Both of the first two stories focus on family relations, and both concentrate on the relationship between the child and a parent also. The relationship between the two different sets of families are simlimar in that the parent seems to be a bit reserved and teh child becomes rebellious but eventually begins to understand their parent and form a positive relationship with them. Both stories hold sad elements in them with the breaking of relationships, and loss of life. Writer's are supposed to write what they know - and taking into consideration that Lahiri has never lost a loved one or experienced most of this first hand he writing is really impressive and to me feels realistic. 

Unaccustomed Earth - 2

I believe the first story Unaccustomed Earth dealt with all different types of love. It focused on many aspects of love between a husband and wife, mother and child, father and child, grandparent and grandchild love. The husband and wife love is shown in two different ways, the relationship between Ruma's parents and her own with her husband. The love her parents shared seemed to be that of a gradual love, there are hints throughout the story that their marriage was arranged, and I believe that their love was more gradual and was a more appreciative type of love that came from their shared life experiences. Ruma's own marital love is by her own choice, she chooses to follow her own path and found her husband and they share a different relationship than her parents did. The love and relationship between a mother and child is played on through the whole story. The need for a mother and missing her own mother is constantly brought up by Ruma. Ruma's mother hasa very established and comfortable role with her daughter and is very involved with her and with her grandchild. And once she passes there is a void that seems hard to fill for Ruma. The relationship between Ruma and her father is completely different.  There is a constraint and wall between them almost their whole lives and an almost professionalism to their relationship. They never needed each other until the mother passes away which after a while forces them together. The many different types of love are shown through this story and also are shown to change as they did with the relationship between Ruma and her father.