An individual's identity is reflected through the uniqueness of their character, which is portrayed through distinct qualities such as habits, aspirations, or values. These factors are unique to each person, yet the most influential aspect towards one's identity is most arguably their cultural background. Culture is most commonly defined as the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social or ethnic group. Therefore, culture is a powerfully impressionable factor behind character formation; it imposes customs which ultimately manifest through a person's defining sense of identity. This clear link between culture and identity suggests that a cultural collision, or a conflict tied directly to one's culture, will ultimately affect …show more content…
This country is entirely foreign to her, and the author is quick to emphasize this fact. In these very first pages of the novel, a cultural collision between Ashima's ties to Calcutta and her new life in America arises. " 'As long as there are ten finger and ten toe,' Ashima replies." Ashima's use of improper English already provides clear evidence of her lack of belonging in America. "Patty smiles, a little too widely, and suddenly Ashima realizes her error, knows she should have said "fingers" and "toes." This error pains her almost as much as her last contraction." (pg. 7) As a result of a mere grammatical error, Ashima is terribly afflicted- this feeling in itself portrays her missing sense of belonging in this country. The fact that Patty simply "smiles" at her statement proves that this dread comes not from an external source, such as another American, but within Ashima herself. This struggle is the first of many that that Ashima will face as she attempts to …show more content…
American culture places happiness as a top priority, while Bengalis are not presented with this kind of value. Ashima was not raised to be overly indulgent or to consider her individual self-worth; rather, she was expected to follow through with an arranged marriage and to raise a family. Although she followed this duty with little resistance, shortly after her first child is born Ashima declares, "I'm saying I don't want to raise Gogol alone in this country. It's not right. I want to go back." (pg.33) By coming to America, she leaves behind the people and the country that she loves, thus compromising her own happiness. In spite of her attempts to become American, Ashima will always have a sense of belonging elsewhere. Her way of life in Calcutta, no matter how often she has to resist it, will always be a defining element of her
Her realization that she is not alone in her oppression brings her a sense of freedom. It validates her emerging thoughts of wanting to rise up and shine a light on injustice. Her worries about not wanting to grow up because of the harsh life that awaits her is a common thought among others besides the people in her community. As she makes friends with other Indians in other communities she realizes the common bonds they share, even down to the most basic such as what they eat, which comforts her and allows her to empathize with them.
...the matter. People she got married to after her first husband died were all horrible to her and I would imagine because they looked down on her. Her children that were supposed to live well with other families were treated in a similar way where they were all not treated well and were slaves to them. It was interesting to see how much of her Indian culture has changed since she was a little girl. When she was younger, there were still Indian ceremonies and traditions that were followed closely, and as she got older, it seems like these traditions started to fade away because of the change of environment. Because of all the foreign people around them, they eventually stopped doing many of their old traditions. Their traditions are so different of that of an American tradition where I feel like people back then were probably ignorant and just saw Indians as savages.
This quick assimilation results in the opposition by the both parents with statements such as, “This is what happens to people in America?” The parents, especially of Pranab, don’t approve of his fiancee as she doesn’t “fit in” with their Bengali customs. The older generation is unaccustomed to the a foreign experience to enter their lives, pushing it away and causing disunity. The younger generation struggles with the two cultures. Ursha struggled with living an American childhood by going to school dances due to her mother “flying into a rage” at the mention of such American customs.
...d and left with little cultural influence of their ancestors (Hirschman 613). When the children inadvertently but naturally adapting to the world around them, such as Lahiri in Rhode Island, the two-part identity begins to raise an issue when she increasingly fits in more both the Indian and American culture. She explains she “felt an intense pressure to be two things, loyal to the old world and fluent in the new”, in which she evidently doing well at both tasks (Lahiri 612). The expectations for her to maintain her Indian customs while also succeeding in learning in the American culture put her in a position in which she is “sandwiched between the country of [her] parents and the country of [her] birth”, stuck in limbo, unable to pick one identity over the other.
In the novel excerpt “Two kinds,” Amy Tan uses the central conflict to develop the theme through the clash of cultural identities. Tan shows the reader how culture is dynamic in each individual person. Culture can be mixed and change over time.
Particularly, the author contradicts standard postcolonial and Caribbean literature in which denial of one’s culture leads to the celebration of a return. Unlike Avey Johnson, Lucy persistently evokes the past; however, she does not come to resolution or return to her homeland. Throughout the novel, Lucy becomes preoccupied, even obsessed with her past and traumatic childhood. She feels like a stranger in the American society and constantly brings up her past and homeland; however, despite her memories, she does not want to go back home or even visit her mother. Such an alienation from her family leads her to isolation, not only from her heritage, but also from the American society. Lucy’s connection to her culture, represented through her mother and motherland, signifies Caribbean literature, particularly in this novel where return and reconnection with her culture emphasized as a
“As we journey through life, identity and belonging must be consistently renegotiated.” Each person’s identity goes through a process of stages in order to be fully developed and be a whole identity. Some people needs more time than others to attain a full, whole identity. There are many factors which play a role in sharpens people’s identity such as the environment that the people love in and the experiences that they went through. Undoubtedly, immigrants, especially those form two different cultures, need more time to achieve a stable and whole identity as they become trapped between two cultures, unable to categorize themselves with a particular one. For instance, it is very hard for Asian Americans, especially the first and second generations, to assimilate and adjust in America as they have different culture, traditions and features. This paper will depict how Obaachan in Silver like dust and Pearl in Shanghai Girls defines their identity and belonging during their lives’ journeys.
Culture and identity are two very strange ideas. They are received at a very young age, yet they are very hard to give to someone else. They will affect you for the rest or your life, yet for the most part you are born into them. However, they soon become very important to us and we cannot, no matter what we do, live without them. They are a part of us, and a vital aspect of society. However, it took me a very long time to recognize that I had an identity and a little while after that before I knew what it was.
...zation leads to Gogol’s discovery of his true identity. Although he has always felt that he had to find a new, more American and ordinary identity, he has come to terms that he will always be the Gogol that is close to his family. While Gogol is coming to this understanding, Ashima has finally broken free from relying on her family, and has become “without borders” (176). No longer the isolated, unsure Bengali she was when arriving in Cambridge, Ashima has been liberated from dependent and powerless to self empowering. The passing of her husband has forced her to go through her life as a more self-reliant person, while at the same time she is able to maintain her daily Indian customs. This break-through is the final point of Ashima’s evolution into personal freedom and independency.
This represents constancy with the notion of if an individual is adapting to a community, his or her interpretations regarding that nation will transform. Within Harita’s setting, an absence of occupations in her nation of origin assisted as being the “push” variable for
The theme of clashing cultural values is brought out through the character of Arjie's father, Appa. As Arjie was growing up, he often enjoyed spending his days playing games like dress-up and wedding' with his younger girl cousins. To him, it came naturally. He felt that playing with the boys would be too boring and dull. Arjie's problems start from the day that he is caught wearing a sari by his Kanathi Aunty. At this point, his Cyril Uncle cries out: "Looks like you have a funny one here" (Selvadurai 14).
to America with grace and compassion. This story by Jhumpa Lahiri, is an allegory establishing an identity with using symbolic meaning between two cultures that intersect. The themes throughout the story refer to immigrant experiences, the conflict of cultures, the contrast of assimilation and the connection between generations. The Namesake, opens the worlds of emotions Ashima experiences, while straddling her two worlds. This story of identity allows readers to travel with Ashima on an intimate journey through her life as an immigrant.
Her message on the different reasons why immigrants come to new countries and cultures is highly perceived in her story. Her use of rhetorical devices helps success her in her story. The usage of ethos, storytelling, word choice and structure played a major role in aiding her beliefs and illustrating them to her audience. Ethos helped her compare her and her sister’s beliefs on their culture and lifestyle in India and America. Storytelling made it possible for readers to connect with her thoughts and stay entertained throughout the paper. Her word choice and structure also helped the outline of the story and made her beliefs sound more
Culture is presented as a source of conflict or pride for the characters and the effect of culture is to depict how non Western lifestyle is often neglected. The disregard for non Western culture is portrayed as negative, detrimental, and a source of identity crises for those whose culture is being neglected. Adichie manipulates culture throughout the novel in order to emphasize the importance of culture to personal identity and one’s authenticity, highlight the dangers of cultural intolerance and ignorance, and expose the misconception of the superiority of Western
Like it or not, a person is judged by their appearance and the way they carry themselves. Appearance is directly related to a person’s character because some details of personal affectations tell much about one’s identity. Every person’s identity depends on their family and their race. As a book can never be judged by its cover, in the same way, a person cannot be judged by their appearance, identity, or ethnicity. There are 197 countries in this world, but every country’s traditions and beliefs are different from each other. Ethnicity, race, and sex play a large part in forming traditions and beliefs, which is why they are so different around the world. A person’s identity is based on their family, culture and personal interests, which are all the factors that tend to shape how people are seen in a community. When an individual is judged based on their appearance instead of their character, they often suffer rejection. Everyone in this world has a different identity and is different from each other. Cultures and traditions differentiate people and help