lucyinthesky said – Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:18:21 -0000 ( Link )
I think this story, by Jhumpa Lahiri, is a great one. It examines the confusion of cultural identity quite well – especially in terms of dealing with living in a Western country yet having attachments to a different heritage or culture. I know I can certainly relate to it.
Lahiri brings these issues up and writes about them quite eloquently. Peculiarly enough, this story reminds me of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath because it deals with the hardships within a family, moving across the land (or the world!) in the hope of something better. Both stories also deal with having to live in a time and place different from what they are used to.
I especially feel for the main character, Gogol – he has to deal with growing up in the U.S. yet once his father dies, he wants to return to his roots. He abandons his life to embrace his heritage, yet realizes this is the not the ideal situation he had imagined either. He marries someone of the same culture as him but also realizes that a shared culture can’t necessarily keep two people together either. What do you think of the ending? What do you think is the ultimate solution? Is there an ultimate solution for dealing with cultural identity and confusion?
P.S. Now I also want to read more about Nikolai Gogol!
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