MADreads

Second generation immigrants

March 5th, 2009 Mary K. - Central

Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth is a collection of short stories about  Bengali immigrants and their children.  It does an excellent job of depicting the blending of both cultures.  For the most part, the second generation is assimilated into American culture, but still has many of the values and world views of Bengali parents.  For example, it would not be unexpected for a member of this generation to be involved in an arranged marriage.

The lives of the younger generation are quite different from those of their parents.  The women in particular have different lives than their mothers; many of whom still dress in saris and cook traditional foods.  Education is very important and many of the second generation have advanced degrees from prestigious universities.

These well-written stories focus on many things, but one of the main topics is the lack of communication between the Bengali parents and their children.  In the title story for example, a young Bengali woman named Ruma who has just relocated to Washington State, entertains her recently widowed father who is visting from Pennsylvania.  They are not able to share any information about their current lives: she is depressed and lonely and he has a relationship with another woman that he doesn’t want her to know about.  He is aware that his daughter is depressed, but instead of talking to her about it, he suggest that she return to work as a lawyer, something that might not be practical for her as a young mother.

Unaccustomed Earth fully deserves its place on the numerous lists of best books of 2008.  Lahiri’s previous two books are also well worth reading. Interpreter of Maladies is another short story collection, and Namesake is a novel, which has been made into a worthwhile movie.

Entry Filed under: Literary Fiction, Short Stories