English 1302.S53
March 31, 2015
Response of “My Two Lives” by Jhumpa Lahiri In her essay “My Two Lives,” Jhumpa Lahiri writes about her struggle with being Indian-American in the American society focusing on how being part of two cultures was confusing, stressful, and full of pressure from living two lives. After 37 years living in the United States, Lahiri understands why she felt as if she were living two lives during her childhood. She describes herself as an Indian- American because she moved with her family from India to the United States when she was very young. Being part of two different cultures for Lahiri was confusing and stressful and made her feel “short in both ends”. She also strives to reconcile her two selves as “like many immigrant offspring, I felt intense pressure to the two things loyal to the old world and fluent in the new approved of on either side of the hyphen”. The author’s main point is that she felt that she was under pressure to have “two lives” because she could not focus on one side or another. And reality doesn’t allow her to do that. , Humpa Lahiri also writes, “While I am American by virtue of the fact that I was raised in this country, I am Indian thanks to the efforts of two individuals. I feel Indian not because of the time I’ve spent in India or because of my genetic composition but rather because of my parents’ steadfast presence in my life.” The author’s point is that her strong sense of being Indian is not from her Indian appearance but from the traditional Indian ways her parents incorporated into their deal daily lives. At the same time, her American behaviors are a product of her social environment she faced outside her home.
Lahiri, as a young girl, had trouble balancing her American life with the Indian life at home. She explains how her parents had grown up in
Calcutta, and they tried to continue practicing the same culture in
America. They lived their daily lives like they were still in India: listening to Indian songs, speaking Bengali, wearing traditional clothes, and eating Indian food with their fingers. All these factors made her feel like an alien and ashamed.
As an immigrant child she felt that she wasn’t living up to the pressure of being Indian or American and she tried to hide her home life from her American friends. Even if she spoke English fluently, her name, look, and the fact that she didn’t participate in social events like her friends made her seem less American. Her parents didn’t engage in any activities outside of their culture, which made it difficult for Lahiri to be able to participate in American activities.
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