The narrator of "The Third and Final Continent," by Jhumpa Lahiri, is a Bengali man who has just been subject to an arranged marriage and is searching for a better life for him and his new bride, who comes to America later in the story. His name is never mentioned, but the reader still can get to know him from the way his story is told. From the story, I got the feeling that he was a determined, loyal, young man in search of a better life for his future family. When discussing the job he had been offered at MIT, he says "The salary was generous enough to support a wife, and I was honored to be hired by a world-famous university, and so I obtained a sixth-preference green card, and prepared to travel farther still" (Lahiri, 174). The fact that he named his first priority as the "salary was generous enough to support a wife," tells the reader that he really is looking out for what is best for his wife and future family. So, he went to America specifically to make a living to help him bring his wife to America and raise a family with her.
The story's title is significant because he has lived on three different continents, India, England, and then finally, America. The fact that he names it the "third and final continent," tells the reader that he settles there and prefers to stay there over going back to his home country. I think he finds that he can make the best living there and from his experiences there with Mrs. Croft mainly, who was a huge influence on him, he realizes that America is where he wants to be.
Arranged marriage is the traditional way that people in India get married. They do not view marriage as a union of two people, instead they view it as an alliance between two families (Flanigan). In the Indian culture, they have these arranged marriages for several reasons including parental control, preservation of ancestry, and it allows the consolidation and extension of family property (Flanigan). The narrator views marriage as a job that he is expected to do. His marriage was arranged by his brother and his wife and he says "I regarded the proposition with neither objection nor enthusiasm. It was a duty expected of me, as it was expected of every man," (Lahiri, 181). So, this passage shows that he was not looking forward to marriage. He saw it as a "duty" and not as a union. He knew it would have to happen, so he let it happen and now he would take responsibility for it.
When he describes his wife, he discusses the five nights after their wedding that they shared a bed for. He explains that his wife always cried when they went to bed because she missed her parents. He never consoled her during that time and he went on doing what he was doing. There was no emotional attachment between them, so he said nothing and did nothing and continued looking forward to his trip to America. When his wife first comes to America, their relationship is very awkward. They barely know each other. When he sees her at the airport, he doesn't run up and kiss her, hug her, or anything. Instead, he asks her if she is hungry. Their conversations are brief and about subjects that are necessary to talk about. The awkward situation continues when they are eating together at their home and she is trying to hold her sari on while eating. He tells her that she doesn't need to cover her head and he doesn't mind, but she continues to keep it covered. This is probably because she is not yet comfortable with him and doesn't feel right removing her sari from her head.
One day, he takes her for a walk and shows her where he first lived in America, Mrs. Croft's house. They both go inside to visit with Mrs. Croft and while talking to her about her broken hip, Mala laughs and it is the first time he hears her laugh. Mrs. Croft asks who she is and then examines her. Eventually she cries out, "She is a perfect lady!" (Lahiri, 195). This moment is an ice breaker for the two newlyweds and helps them make a connection because right after she says this, the narrator laughs quietly and Mala sees and she smiles at him as he smiles back at her. He even says, "I like to think of that moment in Mrs. Croft's parlor as the moment when the distance between Mala and me began to lessen" (Lahiri, 196). I agree that this moment is the jumping off point for him and his wife and causes them to begin the process of falling in love. Mrs. Croft contributes to this moment with her kind words and she makes a true difference in his life.
This story is very inspiring and contributes to the understanding of Indian traditions. Arranged marriage is not something that is normal to people in America. This story exposes readers to different cultural traditions and explains what life is like in America from the point of view of an Indian man, who is determined to find a way to support his wife and future family.
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| Jhumpa Lahiri |
Flanigan, Santana. "Arranged Marriages, Matchmakers, and Dowries in India." PostColonialStudies.Emory.edu. October. 2012. Web. 10 April. 2014.
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