Two Styles

     1.     What was a major component of Lahiri’s growing identity as an American?

The major component of Lahiri’s growing identity as an American is how she is able to speak English without an accent and comprehended well.

     2.     How were the experiences of Lahiri’s parents and other immigrants different from those of subsequent generations?

The subsequent generations have to learn how to fit in the local people and most of them would keep identities like Lahiri who lived two different lives at home and at school. However, some of them might just abandon their original culture and fully adopt the local culture.

     3.      In what ways is Lahiri’s experience equivalent to that of other children of immigrants?

Lahiri and other children of immigrants’ endured intense pressure to have two identities. They would never be easily regarded as Native Americans because their different appearance. All of them might experience the ironic situation of living in two different lifestyles. They may feel confused about their lives in their childhood.

     4.     Is the use of figurative language an effective technique in this essay? Explain.

      Yes. The author used simile, personification and other kinds of figurative languages. For instance, she described her mother’s clothes as outmoded currency. She also described the back-and-forth life as an anchor that will drop.