1.
Those who have read Lahiri’s work before in
previous classes should be aware that her work often revolves around the
hardship and trials that immigrants face upon leaving their country, and their
struggle to bridge the gap between two drastically different worlds. Do you find this concept apparent anywhere in
“A Temporary Matter”?
2.
What is the significance or purpose of Shukumar
keeping a torn picture out of a magazine?
In response to your first question - I felt that Shoba and Shukumar were very well-adjusted to America, as if they'd lived here their entire lives. Honestly, aside from the mentions of Indian food, Shukumar's mother "moving back to Calcultta" (6), and Shoba's brief story about "attend[ing] an entire rice ceremony" (11), they seemed like very "normal" Americans. It might be interesting to think that perhaps Shukumar and Shoba aren't as able to connect because Shoba has spent more time in India, but Lahiri doesn't seem to indicate that this is the reason for their drifting apart.
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