“Like many descendants of immigrants, I felt intense pressure to be two things, faithful to the old world and master of the new, approved of each side of the hyphen” (Lahiri). Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri describes herself as Indian-American, where she feels neither Indian nor American (Lahiri). Lahiri feels alienated as he struggles to live two lives while maintaining two distinct cultures. Most of Lahiri's work is recognized in the United States rather than in India, where she is from (Mullan). Lahiri's characterization and images in his short stories and novels depict the cultural differences among American Indians and how Indians maintain their identity when they migrate to a new Western world. Lahiri's inability to feel accepted in her home, her inability to be fully American, her status as an Indian-American, and the difference between families of the same culture create a struggle to maintain her Indian identity. Additionally, through characterization and imagery, Lahiri shows the complexity and struggle of being an Indian-American immigrant in one of her short stories “Once in a Lifetime.” Nilanjana Sudeshna Lahiri, of Indian origin, was born in London in August 1967 to Indian Bengali immigrant parents. The Lahiri family moved from England to Rhode Island when Jhumpa was two years old. His father was a librarian at the University of Rhode Island and his mother was a schoolteacher (Hansen). At the age of seven, Lahiri began writing about what she saw and felt. Growing up, Lahiri lived two lives: Indian at home and American outside (Hansen). Despite living most of their lives in the Western world, Lahiri's parents called "Calcutta" their home, unlike Lahiri who thought Rhode Isl...... middle of paper... ... " Web Journal Article. Response to Jhumpa Lahiri's Question. "Once in a Lifetime" Blogger, March 26, 2012. Web. November 21, 2013. "Borderless: On Jhumpa Lahiri and "Once in a Lifetime" " Isak: Celebrating Tales and Truth Ed. Monet Moutrie. 2010. Web. November 21, 2013. Lahiri, Jhumpa. “Once in a Lifetime.” The New Yorker, May 6, 2006. Web November 21, 2013. Kort, Carol “Lahiri, Jhumpa.” Facts On File, Inc. Web. November 21, 2013. Werlock, Abby HP “Lahiri, Jhumpa.” 2006. Web. November 21, 2013. “John Mullan on Unaccustomed Earth a Guardian Book Club, September 6, 2013. Web. 2013. Ula, Neda. “Jhumpa Lahiri's Struggle to Feel American.” NPR. . November 21. 2013.