Analyzing “My Two Loves”

Analyzing “My Two Loves”
Literary Terms I
Theme(s): refer to the point (central topic, subject or message) of the text and what the text is really about. In order to make a thematic statement or argument about a text and its central ideas we need to make sure we have a good understanding of it and can talk about in which ways the text is uniquely crafted.
Answer the questions below to help you focus on important elements of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work. You may use a dictionary of literary terms to help understand the meaning of the terms below.
1 “My Two Lives” can be classifies as prose. What other kinds of literary texts can be described as prose? What is Prose structure?
The prose is any written work with structure or form that uses language naturally to express concepts and differs from verses and poems. Examples of prose include short stories, novels, newspaper articles, and essays. The structure of prose is sentences and paragraphs and not metrical structure. The prose elements include characters, setting, plot, point of view, mood, and theme.
2 Every story has a conflict. A story’s conflict can involve characters, events, ideas, values, mindsets, etc. What is the conflict that Jhumpa Lahiri describes and explores in her memoir? Explain.
The conflict is how to identify as "Indian-American living in the US, but being pressured to embrace or downplay her Indian heritage. The writer's parents are Bengali Indians who only embraced their heritage, seeing Calcutta as their home and not Rhode Island.
3 How is the memoir “My Two Lives” organized?
Lahiri begins by focusing on her experience in New York and then mentions her parents clinging to their heritage. She admits she is a child of both Indi and the US but is now surprised she writes about the Indian-American experience. The next question focuses on being bicultural, highlighting that she is as American as other "Americans. The lasts section emphasizes that her experience gives her insights into the Indian-American experience, but she lacks authority on Indian culture, unlike her parents.
 
4 The totality of actions in a story is called plot. What are the main actions or moments (raising and falling) in the story that together make up its plot?
Lahiri talks about her parents' immigrant background affecting how she viewed herself wanting to embrace being Indian and trying to connect with other Americans. Writing provides an opportunity to explore who she is, and she now embraces being Indian and American. The falling action is learning to feel both Indian and American, and she is Indian because of her heritage and her parents' presence in her life.
 
5 Narration refers to who tells the story. The Narrator might be the story’s bias protagonist; or someone who is in the story such as another character. The narrator can be an omniscient (godlike) being who knows what is on every character’s minds. It can also be ambiguous to identify who the narrator is, which can add to the complexity of a story. Who tells the story “My Two Lives”? What have you notice about how it is narrated and the story’s point of view?
The writer is the narrator who writes about her Indian-American experience being a person who identifies with India and the US. She begins the article by writing," I have lived in the United States for almost 37 years" This indicates it is her personal experience.
 
6 In your view, what is the climax of “My Two Lives”? Explain.
I believe the climax is the fourth paragraph. She talks about writing her Indian-American experience and coming to terms with her own identity where she is like any typical American, but with a unique experience with immigrant parents.
7 The plot drives the story along until we get to the resolution of the story. Does Lahiri provide readers with a resolution? What strategies does she use to conclude her story?
Lahiri's resolution is that she has learned to embrace her heritage while being American. The writer connects her family history and upbringing with her experiences and how she epitomizes the Indian-American experience.
8 How does Lahiri tie things up at the end at the end of her writing? Denoument is the final part of a narrative in which the author draws things together and matters are explained or resolved. Does Lahiri provide readers with a denouement? Explain.
Through her experiences as an Indian-American, the writer's immigrant background reflects how her parents' choices and experiences influence her. There is the denouement, where Lahore focuses cultural displacement, but she is reassured that her parents provide valuable lessons on embracing one's c...