Jhumpa Lahiri Culture

Most would agree with Marcus Garvey, a civil rights activist, when he remarked, “A people without the knowledge of their past, history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Cultural identity can be defined as how one identifies personally from the precedent of his or her culture. Through the narratives “Mrs. Sen’s”, “This Blessed House”, and “The Third and Final Continent” in Jhumpa Lahiri’s compilation, Interpreter of Maladies, that by having a secure system to teach one about morals, a person can evolve to become a better person. However, it is important to immerse oneself with other cultures and customs. By doing so, one can start to understand the hardships another culture had to overcome at one point. One must be willing to

One can define assimilation the process of being open to interpretation and learning about the culture one lives in. In order to gain knowledge and a sense of self, one must assimilate with the current society. A culture is the style of living and way of acting that one grows up in. There are different customs and traditions per distinct lifestyles such as Bar Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, First Communions, etcetera, that should not be contained to only those familiar with their own customs. These events are opportunities for other cultures to learn from each other. This shows that it is important not to isolate oneself from the various cultures

Sen, yet similar to Twinkle, the narrator of “The Third and Final Continent” remains positive as he attempts to integrate and is excited about his new future when he has to move to the United States. After the narrator’s mother’s death, nothing can draw him close to India anymore (182), but unlike Mrs. Sen, the narrator does not mourn things he has left behind for a better life in America. Although life in the United States started out difficult to assimilate to, the narrator continues to remain positive and hold an optimistic view throughout his transition. The narrator explains that he “resolved to stay at the YMCA for six weeks, until [his] wife’s passport and green card were ready” (176) while he saves up the money for a place to live for him and his new wife. Even though the noise at the YMCA at night bothers him, the narrator does not let this one problem get in the way of his future plans. Unlike Mrs. Sen, he focuses on the good things that will come to him: his wife coming to live with him, as well as starting a new job in one of the best colleges in America. Along with the narrator, his wife, Mala continuously puts effort into making sure her husband is comfortable and happy, such as getting the paperwork to live in America with him, as well as dressing nice when the couple has their first date night. Mala’s efforts further proves that happiness can be presented if one makes an effort to achieve it. Despite the difficulties Sanjeev faced, he never lost