Jack Breene
The Third and Final Continent- Blog Post
Maffei
There
are many qualities in Jhumpa Lahiri’s style of writing that I admire. I think
his story, The Third and Final Continent,
utilizes several techniques that allow Lahiri to express his ever-changing
lifestyle and surroundings.
As
early as the first page, I found that every detail Lahiri is a part of a
series. It was rare is this piece that he would describe one aspect of the
scene. Every time we enter a new location, Lahiri hits you with an array of
images that paint an accurate picture of the enviroment while still giving you
a chance to make your own assumptions about what has been left out. For
example, when Lahiri discusses his first London home, he includes how, “the
house was crammed…we played Mukesh on a Grundig reel-to-reel, and soaked our
dirty dishes in the bathtub.” Without giving too much away, I completely
understand the causal bachelor mood of the house.
The “series” in a story is like a
montage in a movie. It’s a good, fun way to show a lot without dragging on.
When done right, as they are in this story, they allow the author to show who
his characters are through their activities. We get an accurate picture of many
different aspects of life. In this first example, Lahiri uses playful languages
to celebrate how they ate, how they dress, and what they do for fun.
Lahiri also successfully uses many symbols throughout the
story that provide layers to events of the story. One of the most notable is
the mooning landing. It’s fitting that he receives this historic news as he is
making his own moon landing. For him, going to the United States is his moon
landing and with every reference we are reminded of how colossal a step this is
for the narrator. There is also a relationship between the way Lahiri perceives
America as the country perceived the landing. For the narrator was living by
himself for the first six weeks, the story was still in all the papers. During
that time neither Lahiri nor the country, their respective accomplishes had not
yet sunk in.
While he had been away from home before, he knew that the
United States would not be like England. I definitely got the sense that the
narrator felt an unfamiliar unease about leaving the Commonwealth. This different
again is highlighted through the use of a symbol, the guidebook. As any
librarian may find solace in a book, the narrator’s guidebook becomes his bible
in moments of doubt. When he nervous on plane or frustrated with his
relationship, he turns to the guidebook for answers. Only when he and his wife
overcome the initial awkwardness does he become confident enough to put down
the book.
First off, I’m pretty sure Jhumpa Lahiri is a woman; there’s actually a stunning photo of her on the back of my copy. Anyways, I definitely agree with your idea of Lahiri’s style of writing in terms of producing “an array of images.” I had that impression as well when I began the novel. When the narrator describes his life in London and part of his life in Massachusetts, the prose is factual and descriptive. In addition to “showing who the characters are through their activities,” another function of this factual style is to exhibit the narrator’s emotional progression through the novel. At first, there are almost no signs of the narrator’s feelings about his life except for the occasional subtle hint, like “Only I did not sleep well.” However, by the end of the story, the narrator has developed emotional attachments to a number of people, has emotionally settled into his new home, and looks back on his life with awe and bewilderment.
ReplyDeleteJei Woo