Monday we discussed the importance of Point of View. Here, Hema and Kaushik each have their own story, "Once in a Lifetime" and "Year's End," respectively. The third and final story, "Going Ashore," reverts back to our omniscient narrator--this time giving us a peek into each of our characters minds--and then back to Hema's first person narration at the conclusion. What is the significance of this switch in Point of View? What kinds of intimacy and distance does Lahiri create through the narration?
I also want us to situate Hema and Kaushik's story within the whole collection--how does their story fit in with the themes and issues we've read? Can we begin to draw some conclusions about post-colonial identity, about love and marriage, and cultural intersections, about place, home? Have all of our characters built their lives on "unaccustomed earth"?
Also, to best understand these stories, it helps to look at several key symbols:
water/swimming/drowning/tsunami
photography
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