That Thing Around Your Neck: Double Consciousness

*Make an argument about either a similarity or difference between two short stories.

*You must choose one of the topics listed below as the basis of your comparison.

*The stories can come from any of the following three short story collections:  Interpreter of Maladies, That Thing Around Your Neck, or This Is How You Lose Her. 

Topics:

Double consciousness

Striving

Immigration OR transition OR assimilation

National Identity

Cultural Appropriation 

Conformity to oppressive systems

Resistance against oppressive systems

Example of a thesis:

Both Jhumpra Lahiri and Langston Hughes create characters that struggle with double consciousness. However, Lahiri portrays double consciousness as a hindrance to happiness while Hughes suggests that double consciousness is the only path to happiness for a person of color.  In Lahiris story, Mrs. Sen, the title characters insistence on straddling two cultures leads to an unfortunate crash that further alienates her from her burgeoning American identity. On the other hand, Cora, Hughes protagonist in Cora unashamed, feels empowered by her liminal position between black and white cultures. As a result, she does not worry about the consequences of articulating unpopular opinions.  Clearly, Lahiri and Hughes have opposing opinions about the value of double consciousness.