Jhumpa Lahiri is a Pulitzer Prize-winning short story writer, who has been hailed as one of the first authors to establish a literature for Indian/Bengali-Americans. These diasporic writings address many issues that involve adapting to new cultures, generational relationships, and traditional gender roles for men and women. Many have stated that Lahiri is a proponent of feminism, however, a closer reading of the characters and plot of her short stories reveals that her writings display both pro-womanist and anti-womanist sentiments. Jhumpa Lahiri has written two books of short stories: Unhabited Earth and The Interpreter of Maladies. These short stories contribute to the womanist genre but also subvert this genre in other ways by placing the masculine above the feminine. This occurs in “A Temporary Matter” from “The Interpreter of Maladies” as well as “Unaccustomed Earth” and Nobody's Business” from his other collection. An examination of the characters and plot of these stories allows us to see the conflict that arises between the expected gender roles of men and women, the generational differences in the perspective of this dichotomy, as well as the difficulties that surround the cultural diasporization, all factors which demonstrate that its stories contribute to and harm feminine ideals. If many of her critics had looked more closely, "they would have known that she was writing against rather than with these important segments of feminist culture of the last half century" (Cussen 5). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The womanist movement differs from that of feminism only because it focuses on women of color, in this case Bengali-American women. So it may seem like it requires even greater attention due to the greater persecution of women of color compared to white women, even though both are often at a disadvantage. Until now, feminism has mainly focused on African women and their desire for more freedom and rights. Other forms of feminism may develop, but in the meantime, “Indian/Bengali-American feminism has yet to be heard, let alone articulated, and that is unfortunate.” Although she never explicitly addresses feminism by name in her fiction, Jhumpa Lahiri's feminist manifestations in her various works of fiction provide an insightful point of exploration” (Kasun 8). Many of the characters in her stories are women exploring their independence from their traditional gender roles, rooted in their culture. Indian/Bengali women face different cultural expectations than African or Middle Eastern women and Jhumpa Lahiri seems to be making an effort to raise awareness about their plight. However, we can also see elements that contradict a feminist reading of her short story collections. Her stories “highlight Lahiri’s intervention in complicating and expanding feminist critical expectations” (Ranasinha 175). The first of these stories is “A Temporary Affair”. It begins with a young married couple, Shukumar and Shoba. Although they are married, because of a tragedy, they live as strangers until a planned blackout in the neighborhood brings them together. The four nights of darkness give them time to speak to teach others. We are slowly given bits of memory that provide insight into the distance between Shukumar and Shoba. It is revealed that they are mourning the death of their stillborn baby. This traumatic loss deepens agap between them. The readers hope that they can reconcile because with each night of darkness, they confess more and more of their secrets to each other. Many of them are simple things like having a late night with a friend, taking a photo from a magazine, or not liking a sweater. However, this hope for their marriage quickly dwindles as they reveal one final confession. Shoba admits that she is moving out and found her own apartment and Shukumar tells her that he saw and held their stillborn son. Ultimately, “they cried for the things they now knew” (Lahiri, “Interpreter of Diseases” 22). In this story, Lahiri uses his descriptions of Shoba to place the masculine above the feminine. In this vein of thought, “the woman becomes the object, the body, while the masculine is granted the power to assert its nihilating gaze on the feminine being in itself as a passive object” (Asl 124). This idea of ​​annihilating the feminine by placing the masculine in a position of power and the metaphor of vision are both linked to constructions of sexual differences and gender roles. We see this phenomenon in advertising and in the way a woman's physical appearance is perceived. Men are often placed in positions of power while women are merely passive objects in the story of their lives. This is evident in Lahiri's writings in "A Temporary Matter" as Shoba is frequently examined by Shukumar or described to the reader. She is reduced to a physical entity because she and Shukumar only occupy the same space physically, not emotionally. This is a method that Lahiri also uses in a few of his other stories. This undermines a feminist reading of history. His physical appearance is frequently referenced throughout the story. In one case, Shukumar notes that “his beauty, which had once overwhelmed him, seemed to fade. Cosmetics that seemed superfluous were now necessary, not to improve it but to define it in some way” (14). Shoba is put in the position of being looked at and relegated to the status of an object defined by her cosmetics. Shukumar can no longer relate to her on an emotional level, causing their marriage to collapse. Even before their baby's death, Shukumar seeks some sort of attraction elsewhere. During their secret conversation, he confessed to her that he had cut out a photo of a woman – an advertisement for stockings – who he found strangely attractive because Shoba was pregnant at the time and she was grown so big “to the point where Shukumar no longer wanted to touch her” (19). Particularly pregnant, Shoba no longer appealed to him and he found himself in a position of domination over her because of this perspective on her attractiveness. “A Temporary Matter” relegates women to the status of objects in the eyes of men and directly contrasts with the idea that Lahiri is primarily a feminist writer who portrays strong, independent female characters who resist cultural norms. Another story that introduces the same idea of ​​the objectification of women is "Nobody's Business", which is also introduced in the "Unaccustomed Earth" collection. Sang, a Native American immigrant, is in a relationship with Farouk, an Egyptian who is in Vancouver. Farouk returns and he and Sang spend all their time together. One of her roommates, Paul, is fascinated by her and wishes he could have a relationship with her. While Sang visits his sister in London, Paul receives a phone call from a woman named Deirdre who says she is Farouk's lover. Paul decides not to tell Sang what happened. Eventually, she discovers it's a woman, but doesn't believe Paul when he tells her why she called her. Eventually, she eavesdrops on a conversation between Deirdreand Paul, Sang decides to go to Farouk's apartment and she and Paul confront him together. Farouk and Paul fight and eventually the police arrive to calm things down. Sang then returns to London to be with his sister and Paul goes about his life before Sang arrives. Sang, like Shuma, is frequently described physically in the way that Paul (who desires a relationship with her) perceives her. At one point, he sees her in a towel after she finishes taking a shower. “For weeks he had wanted to see her like this, and yet he felt completely unprepared for the sight of her naked, her legs and arms, her face and shoulders wet” (Lahiri, “ Unaccustomed Land” 190). Like Shuma, she is relegated to the status of an object – a phenomenon Paul hopes to catch a glimpse of. Interestingly, we never get much physical description of Paul, Farouk, or any other man in his stories. But almost every story contains a description of what the woman looks like. Paul sees her again when “she went up to her room, dressed in a pretty dress that he had never seen, a short-sleeved dress in white cotton, fitted at the waist. The neck was square, revealing the collarbones” (205). It is an example of this moment when “the woman becomes the object, the body, while the masculine is granted the power to assert its nihilatizing view on the feminine being in itself as a passive object” (Asl 124) . Despite the examples of independent, feminist women in her stories, Lahiri reminds her readers of the reality that women are frequently relegated to objects in both the Western world and Indian/Bengali culture. Another story written by Lahiri that suggests the complicated dichotomy between men and women is "Unhabited Earth" from her second book of short stories. This short story depicts family relationships between three generations, a father, a daughter and a grandson. This adds to the discussion about cultural immersion and gender roles. However, we do not see any objectification of the female character. The father visits his daughter, Ruma, and his son, Akash. After her mother's death, Ruma suddenly felt a strong desire to reprise many of the same roles her mother played. Ruma gave up a successful career outside the home to raise children while her husband Adam supports her. After grieving for two weeks after her mother's death, "overseeing her clients' futures, preparing their wills and refinancing their mortgages seemed ridiculous, and all she wanted to do was stay home with Akash » (“Unaccustomed Earth” 5). She suddenly has more of a desire for motherhood, a feminine trait, and Lahiri emphasizes that “it was the house that was now her work” (6). Since it is also her choice to stay at home, she demonstrates more independence and capabilities than someone who is forced to stay at home due to cultural demands. It is also interesting to note that despite her father being from a more traditional Bengali culture, he encourages her to seek employment outside the home. He himself begins to adopt Western ideas when he begins dating a woman who wears Western clothing, such as cardigans and pants. However, Ruma finds it more fulfilling to stay at home with her son and does not seem to miss the time she spent at her workplace. This display of choice in her desire to stay at home sets Ruma apart from some of Lahiri's other characters who stay at home like Mrs. Sen or who actually don't speak much throughout the story, like Shoba. “By placing its female characters in traditional roles – such as housewivesand/or almost silent and often unemployed mothers – Lahiri shows, through the interior monologue and narrative of her female characters, their impact on the consciousness of other characters and their community bonds. in short, their great power…although her female characters are outwardly powerless in Western society, Lahiri reveals their inner adaptability without their overly assimilative nature” (Kasun 20). Ruma's character really demonstrates the contrast between traditional gender roles encouraged by Indian/Bengali culture and the ideas of feminism and womanism that many believe Lahiri promotes. She has the ability to choose a career herself and be independent, but she realizes that she is drawn to the responsibility of motherhood and staying at home with her son instead of pursuing the Western idea success in professional life. Lahiri introduces her audience to the idea that gender expectations can perhaps align with the ideas of feminism. We see that subversion and support for a feminist reading of Lahiri's works exist simultaneously. Both traditional and non-traditional gender roles are demonstrated, leading us to realize that in these stories "the configuration of gender roles for male and female characters becomes an ongoing, intertwined process." Although certain characteristics can be attributed to different generations of characters, analysis of these stories shows that they reject stereotypical depictions of male or female characters” (Marks vi). When characters are surrounded by their own culture, it becomes easier and more necessary to follow their culture's normative approach to gender roles and traditions. Many Lahiri stories involve Indians/Bengalis transplanted into a new Western culture where traditional gender roles are not necessarily the norm. Their diasporic state creates a conflict between the culture of their heritage and the desire to assimilate into their new culture. This creates situations where we begin to see a rejection of typical gender roles and stereotypes. One example of rejecting these stereotypes is the way Lahiri writes her male characters. Traditionally male characters in Asian diasporic literature are oppressive figures who are esteemed above women. However, most of the characters in these short stories "struggle in almost the same way as the female characters to deal with their feelings of being hyphenated subjects who live between worlds." As a result, the male characters in his stories often deviate from the stereotypical depiction of Indian male characters” (Marks 3). We can look to Shukumar for an example of a non-traditional male character. Early in her marriage to Shoba, it appears that she followed their culture's gender expectations by cooking traditional meals for him and cleaning the house. However, after the death of their baby, their roles seem to become opposites. Shukumar starts cooking more. He stays home and makes sure the household chores are done. Even though women choose to reject typical gender roles, they celebrate characteristics such as motherhood. After the death of her child during pregnancy, she rejects this role of motherhood and seeks to separate herself from womanhood in several ways and chooses to work more and more outside the home until Shukumar takes over the care. daily household chores. Lahiri paints his characters in the typical male/female manner and then chooses to subvert these characteristics through small differences that separate them from the typical mold..