The Third and Final Continent.

    This short story reflects on one Indian man’s immigration experience in America. We experience the narrator’s journey through his stories and inner thoughts as he starts a new life in a foreign country.

Traditional Indian Sari

   Throughout the story, we gain an insight to the narrator’s culture and his way of life. Being raised in an Indian culture, he has never consumed whiskey or beef. This was difficult for him being in America since buying a hotdog or hamburger is so convenient and cheap. Instead, he resorts to eating cornflakes for his meals. Also, he speaks about the conveniency of having bottles of milk delivered to his door; whereas in America, that is not the case.

     We catch a glimpse of his Indian culture when we hear his thoughts about the table in Mrs. Croft’s apartment. “The table’s legs fully concealed, much like a woman.” It is well known that women in certain cultures are forbidden to show any skin. I thought this was very interesting that he would subconsciously make a connection like this.
 
    We also sense a similar tone when Mrs. Croft is laying out the rules of the house. She mentions that he must not bring any “lady friends” over. He quickly mentions that he is married and that she needn’t worry about that. The narrator explains that being married “was a duty expected of me, as it was expected of every man”. (Arranged marriages are a common practice in Indian culture). I think this was a perfect example of how cultures differ when it comes to relationships and marriage. Mrs. Croft sees a young man living by himself and assumes that he will often bring women back to his room. This seems absurd to the Indian man because you are expected to be married at his age or else you would be shunned from society (or considered a spinster).

    We are able to experience the narrator’s struggles of being a foreigner in America throughout the story. He mentions using American currency while using a pay phone; “sorting through the coins with which i was still unfamiliar, smaller and lighter than shillings, heavier and brighter than paisas.” This just goes to show how something as simple as coins, that we as Americans use everyday, can become a hurdle to someone who is foreign to the culture. This was eye-opening for me. When I think about the struggles that immigrants have to face, the major thing that usually comes to mind is having a language barrier. However, there is SO much more to it than just having a different language - it is a complete culture shock.

    I think the reason the narrator forms a bond with Mrs. Croft is because she still holds on to her values, even though they may seem outdated. For example, she believes unmarried males and females should never be left in a room together alone and women should not be wearing dresses higher than the ankle. The narrator can relate to values such as these so it is obvious why he refers to her as the “first American life I had admired.”

    By the end of the story we see that the narrator has become more comfortable with the American culture. When his wife Mala puts on her sari he tells her, “theres no need to cover your head, i don’t mind, it doesn't matter here.” This was comforting because it shows the reader that he is starting to feel more at ease with living in his new country

    Even though the narrator and his family have embraced the American culture, they are still proud of where they've come from. However, they are afraid that their son will loose touch of their Indian heritage, being that he was born in America. When talking about their Indian traditions, “We sometimes worry he will no longer do these things after we die”. They want to be sure that their values and traditions with be passed on and kept alive, despite what country or culture they are living in. He is proud to be the person he’s become, but he never wants to loose sight of where he came from.
.