Unaccustomed Earth

Choose 1-3 short stories in order to form a thesis about Lahiri’s depiction of the Indian diaspora within Unaccustomed Earth. Paying careful attention to the experiences of the first-generation character(s), explicate Lahiri’s thematic message(s) about the experiences of the Indian diaspora in America.  

Choose one story in order to investigate the notion of internal versus external conflict within Unaccustomed Earth. What is Lahiri’s message about the psychology of human relationships (both those with others, and those that we have with ourselves) within your chosen story?

Choose one story in order to investigate the notion of family within Unaccustomed Earth. What is Lahiri’s thematic message about family within your chosen story? Be sure to pay attention to aspects such as gender, class, assimilation, intergenerational conflict, and cultural/social mores and norms within your analysis. 

Write an essay that focuses solely on Part 2 of the collection. Explicate the formal elements of this section, such as perspective, character, and narrative structure, in order to arrive at a thematic analysis. 

Compare and contrast two stories, or characters, with one another in order to draw out the nuances of Lahiri’s thematic messaging about 1-3 of the following topics: gender, class, the Indian diaspora in America, or family. 

Write an essay that forms a thesis about Lahiri’s perspective on interracial Indian and white relationships. Cite sources from sociology, critical race theory, and/or any other applicable discipline in order to substantiate your critical reading of Lahiri’s perspective on these interracial relationships.  

Choose one story and investigate the presence of the unspoken within it. What are the character(s) within your story struggling with privately, and why must and do they remain silent? What are the consequences of their silence? What can be understood between characters without them speaking, and why? Take into account culture, gender, society, the family unit and/or the immigrant experience within your investigation, as applicable. 

Choose one character. Explicate that character’s struggle with the norms and expectations that are placed upon them. Pay close attention to the character’s social and cultural positioning, along the lines of class, gender, immigrant identity, and/or generation.