Culture and Identity
Culture is one of the most important unifying themes in Jhumpa Lahiri’s stories. Work through each of these questions in order to explore what culture means, why it is important and how it can impact upon people’s lives:
1. How do you define yourself?
a) Culturally
b) Socially
c) Religiously
d) Linguistically
2. How do you maintain or show your cultural connections?
3. Is it important for others to know your cultural identity?
4. What parts of your cultural identity are you proud of?
5. What parts would you discard? Why?
6. Do you think you can reinvent yourself in a new country? If so how?
7. What opportunities are there for new immigrants?
8. How does the physical and natural world influence your idea of where you come from?
9. Do you think your peer group share the same beliefs? Why / why not?
‘A Temporary Matter’
How do each of the following objects/things reflect the deteriorating nature of Shoba’s and Shukumar’s relationship? Incorporate quotes into each answer:
- Darkness
- Candles
- The house
- Food
- Shoba’s make-up
- Dialogue between Shoba and Shukumar
See below for answers.
Read ‘A Temporary Matter’ carefully and, at the end, answer the following questions:
- Can you find any connections between culture and the couple’s marital problems?
- How does the baby symbolise Shukumar and Shoba’s relationship?
- What is the role of the role of communication and secrets in Shukumar and Shoba’s relationship?
- Why has the ending been left so ambiguous? What do you think happens to the couple?
- Discuss the significance of the quote: “Shoba stood waving good-bye in her robe, with one arm resting on the mount of her belly as if it were a perfectly natural part of her body.”
- Find 2 other important or enlightening quotes and discuss their significance.
- What connections can you find with other stories?
‘A Temporary Matter’ TEEL Paragraph
Write a detailed TEEL-structured paragraph of at least 8 to 10 sentences on the following topic:
Jhumpa Lahiri has said: “the characters I’m drawn to all face some barrier of communication.” How are communication barriers explored in ‘A Temporary Matter’?
Remember that you are providing an analysis of the story – you are not just retelling the story or providing an outline of the plot. There must be a clear argument that you are presenting, and this should be outlined in your topic sentence. You will also need to incorporate multiple quotes from the story as evidence to support your argument.
Imagery and Symbolism in ‘A Temporary Matter’
4. Food
“If it weren’t for him, he knew, Shoba would eat a bowl of cereal for her dinner.”
“…he didn’t feel like cooking anymore. It wasn’t the same, he thought, knowing that the lights wouldn’t go out.” …”Still, he bought them.”
Shoba used to prepare all the food, and could be called a typical Indian housewife. But after the baby was stillborn, Shukumar took over the responsibility
Shoba became more of an American working woman, while Shukumar was the one who kept them connected to their culture through food
