Jhumpa Lahiri
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In all her books, Jhumpa Lahiri shows that it took her close to five decades to have a feeling of belonging to America. Lahiri was born in London to Indian parents and grew up in Rhodes Island before leaving for the United States. Even though they legally received American citizenship, Lahiri and her parents never thought felt as American citizens, and their accent made them isolated from the American culture. It was easy for American nationals to know they were not from the country by simply talking to them. Her mother preferred wearing traditional clothing, a fashion that distinguished her from the public. Their culture made them not to mingle with other parents because of the feeling of discomfort. Lahiri illustrates the effects of immigration and language through the discomfort her parents face during their stay in America (Pierce). Her writings express the struggles immigrants often face while trying to adapt to new cultures and societies. Lahiri is searching for a language that may give her an inner voice and drive her passion to the next level. Her approach to languages is in finding one that is more satisfying and true to her identity and belonging. However, her pursuit of a better language seems to be contradictory because the more she writes about a language, the more dissatisfied she feels.
Besides, Jhumpa Lahiri’s interviews reveal aspects of identity and cultural conflicts. In most cases, there is a direct linkage between culture and identity. Customs, attitudes, rituals, and traditions form a culture of particular individuals (Pierce). According to Jhumpa Lahiri, migrations in the current society have placed individuals in groups of identity. For instance, social, religious, and economic determinants of individuals have consolidated them in groups. Indeed, individuals have taken part in their culture, which is the common thing about religious schism. Jhumpa Lahiri’s interpretation of culture and identity is that it is shaped by individual actions at different times. Individuals moving to new places develop a new culture that is different from the parent culture (Pierce). The relations established by migrants and the native people are believed to have a significant effect on culture.
The author in Persepolis concentrates on Marjane, who is caught in the middle of Austria and Iran that are two different cultures. Marjane seeks freedom through leaving the country and divorcing her husband from the culture. Marjane perceives her husband’s culture as sexual and vulgar and feels disgusted by the culture’s different practices. In Iran, the traditionalist culture disgusts her, and she faces gender-based oppression. In the Iranian culture, she is prohibited from partying and from showing off her hair. The traditionalist culture is contrary to the rock tapes and the dress in punk that she is used to (Satrapi). She cannot take part in protests to express her opinions and beliefs because the Iranian culture prohibits protests Marjane could not fit in the two cultures because of their strict rules regarding socialization. At ten years, the cultural revolutionists in Iran forced her to wear a veil (Pierce). The Cultural Revolution in the country is characterized by protests that support and oppose it. Marjane’s mother protests against the abolishment of French non-religious school, making her picture appear in newspapers all over Europe.
Another aspect brought out in Marjane’s life is war. In 1979, “The Iranian Monarchy collapses due to the 1979 revolution.” The rule of the Shah and the neglect of Islam are one of the reasons for the occurrence of the Islamic revolution. Individuals intended to use the revolutionary means to bring changes in Iran. The identity and culture observed by women were to be protected during the revolution. According to Islamic culture, women were to wear the veil to cover their hair. Other items of attire that were prohibited in the Islamic culture include jeans and jewelry. The collapse of Iran’s monarchy resulted in the establishment of a theocratic government. This government was headed by religious leaders who formulated policies that governed the people of Iran. Prayer became mandatory, which is why Marjane’s mother instructed her to tell the revolutionary guards that she used to pray at home. Wearing the veil to conceal women’s hair was one of the aspects of culture continued after the Islamic revolution (Satrapi).
Naomi Shihab’s father was a Palestine refugee while her mother was a Swiss American and German. As a result of her mixed descent, she grew up partly in Texas and partly in Jerusalem. Texas and Jerusalem are two different cultures that greatly influenced her poetry works. Through her contemporary poems, she grew to become an influential and highly valued poet in the world who addressed the voice of girl child in America (Nye 223). Shihab has given a voice to her Arab-American experience through poems about peace and heritage that is filled with a humanitarian spirit. Her poems are a reflection of the two cultures she grew up in, and she seeks to give voice to the voiceless children all over the world whose descent is different nationalities. Shihab’s mixed heritage greatly influenced her poems as she sought to create awareness of culture and the difficulties children face navigating the cultures.
Works Cited
Nye, Naomi Shihab, and Joy Castro. “Nomad, switchboard, poet: Naomi Shihab Nye’s multicultural literature for young readers: An interview.” Melus 27.2 (2002): 225-236.
Pierce, Sheila. “Why Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri Quit the US for Italy.” Financial Times (2015).
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis 2. Pantheon, 2004.