The Third and Final Continent

The Third and Final Continent

By: Jhumpa Lahiri

            I was profoundly interested in the loss of tradition that occurred throughout this story. The narrator is explains his journey from India to North London and then to America. It amazes me how he only changed his Indian traditions once he arrived to America. The narrator is able to adapt so well to America because of his keen sense of observing patterns throughout the area. Not only that, but he also reads in order to learn about American customs.

            In North London, the narrator stayed committed to his Indian customs. I believe this may have been because he was living with other Bengali bachelors and that is all they seemed to have known. One custom that seemed to stand out was how they ate egg curry with their hands. Another custom that continued in North England was how marriages were still being arranged considering the long distance between North England and Calcutta.

            I found it interesting how the narrator considers moving to America because of a job opportunity. This goes back to the idea of fulfilling the life of the “American Dream.” The main concern the narrative had was to ensure that the job was “generous enough to support a wife.” Having a wife was out of his control and since this was an arranged marriage, he had no choice but to marry this woman and take care of her.

            The narrator quickly learns about the American lifestyle by reading The Student Guide to North America. This tool helped the narrator learn about American ways and what certain phrases meant. This helped him maneuver his way into the new country. One of the advices that I found interesting from this guidebook was: “The pace of life in North America is different from Britain as you will soon discover. Everybody feels he must get to the top.” I felt as though he quickly caught on to this idea. For example, he wanted to show up on time for his ‘interview’ for the apartment with Mrs. Croft. Not only that, but he made sure he wore a coat and tie and even mentions his fresh breath of Listerine. He definitely made sure he had a lasting impression on Mrs. Croft for the apartment. I feel as though in America, everyone is always fighting for one certain position- and people would do anything in the world to get it.

            I also noticed how a Catholic-based religion seemed to be quite important from the minute the narrator got on the plane. Once the pilot announced the news of the man landing on the moon, a passenger hollered “God Bless America” and the narrator noticed a woman praying. The fact that the narrator noticed these acts shows that he may have felt like an outcast since he was from India. He also mentions “a small wooden cross on one wall” in the YMCA room. This religion seems to be everywhere and seems to help with an acceptance of breaking some of his religious views. For example, the narrator first shows complete worry in making sure Mala does not encounter an issue with her sari like the woman he witnessed with the dog. However, in a following scene, he tells her, “There is no need to cover your head. I don’t mind. It doesn’t matter here.” This showed the transition into the “American” side of him.

            He also states all the things he was now no longer “used to.” He begins to learn that while living in Mrs. Croft’s building, he had adapted into a new routine, a new tradition. Once Mala came, he had to get used to an entirely new culture, a culture in which he had lost because he was already “Americanized.” He states, “Unlike Mala, I was used to it all by then: used to cornflakes and milk, Helen’s visits, used to sitting on the bench with Mrs. Croft. The only thing I was not used to was Mala.”

            I found it interesting how he was not originally happy with Mala until Mrs. Croft meets her. It seemed as though he needed Mrs. Croft’s approval of her in order for him to give her a chance. Mrs. Croft states, “She is a perfect lady!” It was through Mrs. Croft that finally a connection was then made between Mala and the narrator.

            Overall, this story showed that routines could form by sticking to the pattern faithfully. Although both the narrator and Mala had been reluctant to a new lifestyle, they finally put effort into working together towards a new routine and it ended up working out. The narrator was able to move from India to North England to America and had to adjust to a different routine each time. Eventually, they both lived based off the “American routine” where “Mala no longer drapes the end of her sari over her head, or weeps at night for her parents.” Although they were able to live an “American lifestyle,” they made sure the culture was not completely lost with their son. The narrator explains how once in a while they bring their son back home to Cambridge, “so that he can eat rice with us with his hands, and speak in Bengali.”

            Overall, one tradition that never died with the narrator was how he always remembered the street that he first lived when he moved to America. He first took Mala there and he made it his own routine to drive by Massachusetts Avenue and think about his first experiences in America and ponder on how far he has come since.