Page 154 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

English - II

Notes The search for identity is universal
Lahiri explores the idea that identity, especially for immigrants, is something that must be sought.
We gain a sense of identity through family, society and culture. For the culturally displaced, this is a
difficult endeavour.
The speaker in ‘The Third and Final Continent’ searches for his identity across continents. He is
born in Asia, travels to Europe to study, and finally immigrates to North America. Although he has
adapted to the British way of life as a student, it is not a true cultural integration as he lives in a
‘house occupied entirely by penniless Bengali bachelors like [himself]’ . He attempts to keep his
cultural identity intact by keeping the most trivial of Indian traditions alive, such as eating ‘egg
curry’ . When he is posted to America he relies on the Britishness that he has learned in London,
converting ‘ounces to grams’ and comparing ‘prices to things in England’ as a survival strategy. His
search for identity is further strained by his arranged marriage, more or less en route to refusal to eat
‘hamburgers or hot dogs’, as the consumption of beef is sacrilegious according to his Hindu beliefs.
The speaker is burdened with a fragmented sense of identity; constantly pulled in opposite directions
between Indian culture and the need to assimilate in America. When he meets his centenarian landlady,
Mrs Croft, he is bewildered by her age and her repetitious phrases while admiring her strength in
surviving for so long. In contrast to his relationship with his own mother, whose rejection of life had
further exacerbated the speaker’s sense of emotional isolation, through his fondness for Mrs Croft,
and his admiration for her ability to accept the inevitable, he gradually learns that, although he is
‘bewildered by each mile [he has] traveled … each person [he has] known’, life is a strange amalgam.
In contrast with the speaker, his wife Mala is able to maintain her identity because she takes on the role
of a traditional Indian wife. The speaker finds their relationship strained, however – they were ‘strangers’
– until during a visit to Mrs Croft, who measures Mala through her own innate sense of decorum rather
than her exotic dissimilarities to the American ideal, declares her to be ‘a perfect lady’ . The speaker sees
only their differences, whereas Mrs Croft appreciates Mala’s grace and charm. The speaker’s ability to
adjust is, Lahiri points out, a human adaptation. He has discovered that the ability to feel at home no
matter what country he lives in comes only from having a strong sense of self. The ‘ambition that had
first hurled [him] across the world’ is part of his ability to know himself and to recognise that the
strength he gains from his origins is the ideal foundation on which to build a strong identity.
• Even though she is an Indian in India, is Boori Ma also seeking an identity in her self-appointed
occupation as a ‘real durwan’ ?
• Is her displacement the cause of her fragmented sense of identity?
The Immigrant Experience/Assimilation
The immigrant experience takes several forms in Interpreter of Maladies. For some characters, like
the narrator of The Third and Final Continent, the transition to a new life is challenging but smooth.
The narrator looks forward to the opportunity that the new country can afford. For Lilia’s parents,
the move to America also affords them a wealth of opportunity not open to them in India, but the
price is paid by Lilia in terms of connection to her culture. Mrs. Sen flat-out refuses to assimilate. For
her, “everything” is in India and there is no reason to attempt to make a life in her new home. There
is an emotional trade-off when moving to a new land. Each character in this collection wrestles with
identity, whether newly displaced or descended from immigrants. There is a longing felt for the
place of one’s birth, a fear of losing one’s culture and fear of not being accepted.
Marriage/Love

Love and marriage are complicated in Interpreter of Maladies. A marriage is the beginning of a new
joint life for two people. In these stories, a marriage is an occasion of joy but also of secrets, silences,
and mysteries. Twinkle and Sanjeev’s relationship crystalizes the disparate attitudes and attributes
of marriage in Lahiri’s collection. Although they are both born in America and their marriage is not
arranged, Twinkle and Sanjeev are nearly strangers to one another. No matter what romantic feelings
transpire within couples, each husband and wife in the stories remain individuals, each with their

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