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Articles for Spring 2004 The Forgotten Chapters of The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien's Challenge to the Conventional Quest By Thomas Bowler
Dante's Love: Earthly or Extraordinary? By David Brensinger
Snapshots From the Ether: E-mail Narratives in Contemporary Literature By Jeremy Cooke
Food as a Marker of Cultural Duality in Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies By Elizabeth Jin
Dealing With A S-T-A-U-N-C-H Character: Locating Edie Beale's Cultural Significance By Christina Jordan
"Otherness" in Charlotte Mew's Poetry By Natalie Kressen
Constructed Love: Mis-fulfilled Expectations in Troilus and Criseyde By Michael Opest
By Michael Ritchey
Saving Privatization: Speilberg and the Neoliberal War Film By Josh Smicker |
Food as a Marker of Cultural Duality in Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies By Elizabeth Jin [ Contents | Absract | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | Works Cited | Appendix ] Abstract The collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, is the debut work of Jhumpa Lahiri. Although this collection is certainly not the first work to explore issues of cultural identity, Lahiri offers a new perspective on what it means to be "Indian-American" and the accompanying feelings of exile, isolation, and rejection. In this thesis I examine Lahiri's characters and their varied cultural growth as Indian immigrants, citizens, and ex-patriots. Specifically, I argue that Lahiri uses the metaphor of food to chart cultural awareness. Food, food preparation, and food consumption serve other purposes for Lahiri as well. Vivid descriptions of characters through food enhance the reader's understanding of a character's appearance and personality. The continual food preparation throughout the collection sets a steady pace for the events that unfold. Furthermore, the meals that Lahiri's characters consume, as well as the meals that are not eaten, contribute to my analysis of their cultural growth. While eight of the nine short stories focus on food in relation to cultural identity, Lahiri does not limit her storytelling to the issues of cultural accommodation. Beneath the overarching theme of cultural identity are nine personal statements that allow Lahiri's characters—and Lahiri—a chance to reflect on their interpersonal relationships and try to come to terms with their own unique struggles. [ Next >> ] [ Contents | Absract | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | Works Cited | Appendix ] |
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